University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


PARSONS'  TEXT 
BOOK 


BY  A.  H.  .PARSONS 

Of  the  Reorganized   Ckurch    of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints 


HERALD  PUBLISHING  HOUSE 
LAMONI.  IOWA- 


Copyrighted   1902 

By 
A.  H.  Parsons. 


ELDER  A.  H.  PARSONS. 


PREFACE. 

In  presenting  the  second  and  revised  edition  of  Parsons' 
Text-Book,  I  do  so  as  the  servant  of  the  church.  It  is  the 
property  of  the  church.  I  trust  that  after  months  of  careful 
work  in  recompiling,  all  errors  found  in  the  former  have 
been  worked  out  and  that  no  new  ones  have  crept  in.  It  may 
seem  a  small  task  to  one  that  never  had  any  experience,  but 
I  have  found  that  the  best  of  our  writers  are  not  so  careful 
as  they  should  be  in  quoting.  I  have  sought  to  give  the  exact 
statement  of  the  author  and  I  have  been  greatly  assisted  by 
the  following  brethren :  Arthur  Allen,  F.  M.  Slover,  C.  J. 
Hunt,  Ammon  White,  B.  J.  Scott,  L.  G.  Holloway,  J.  A.  Tan- 
ner, Samuel  A.  Burgess,  J.  W.  Peterson,  A.  M.  Fyrando,  J.  F. 
Mintun,  F.  G.  Pitt,  Peter  Anderson,  E.  C.  Briggs,  and  Joseph 
B.  Smith.  We  thank  these  brethren  for  their  assistance. 

All  citations  and  quotations  from  the  Book  of  Mormon  are 
from  the  latest,  the  Authorized  Edition. 

Your  servant  and  colaborer  in  Christ  our  Lord, 

A.  H.  PARSONS. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK. 


EARLIEST    PRINTED    WORKS    ON    THE    ANTIQUITIES    OF    AMERICA. 

Captain  Dupaix's  work  was  published  in  Paris  in  1834-35. — 
Travels  in  Central  America,  p.  262. 

Colonel  Galindo  in  1836  .  .  .  examined  them  under  a  com- 
mission from  the  Central  American  government.  His  com- 
munications on  the  subject  were  published  in  the  proceedings 
of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  Paris  and  in  the 
Literary  Gazette  of  London. — Ibid.,  p.  131. 

Palacios'  work  was  published  in  1860  in  English. — Native 
Races,  vol.  4,  p.  79. 

Josiah  Priest's  work  was  published  in  1833,  copyrighted 
March  21,  1833. 

Abbe  Brasseur  de  Bourbourg's  work  was  published  in  1857- 
1859. — American  Encyclopedia,  vol.  3,  p.  214. 

John  L.  Stephens'  work  of  his  travels  in  Central  America 
was  published  in  1841. 

Mr.  Waldec's  work  was  published  in  1845. — Travels  in  Cen- 
tral America,  vol.  1,  p.  297. 

William  Pidgeon's  work,  Antiquarian  Researches,  was  pub- 
lished in  1858. 

Fuente's  work  on  the  early  inhabitants  of  America  was 
published  in  Spanish  in  1787,  but  never  published  in  the 
English  language. 

Baron  Humboldt's  work  was  published  in  the  French  lan- 
guage, between  1809  and  1825;  and  in  the  German,  1836; 
English,  1846. 

Del  Rio's  work  was  published  in  London,  England,  in  1822. 
A  London  newspaper  stated  in  1833  of  this  work,  "The  facts 
contained  in  it  as  having  recently  come  to  light." 


8  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

H.  H.  Bancroft,  in  1875. 

Desire  Charnay,  1860;  second  edition  in  1884. 
J.  D.  Baldwin,  first  edition,  1872. 
E.  G.  Squires,  1854. 
Delafield,  in  1839. 
Short,  in  1880. 
Donnelly,  in   1882. 

Lord  Kingsborough,  first  work  in  1830;  second  edition  in 
1845;  it  cost  six  hundred  dollars. 

AMERICA'S  PROGENY. 

Antiquarian  evidence  submitted  in  proof  of  the  claims  made 
by  the  fiook  of  Mormon. 

William  Pidgeon  says:  "It  can  not  be  any  longer  doubted 
that  there  has  been  a  day  when  this  continent  swarmed  with 
millions  of  inhabitants,  when  arts  and  sciences  flourished, 
when  men  lived,  and  labored,  and  reigned,  and  fought,  and 
were,  in  turn  conquerors,  and  conquered,  subjects,  and  kings." 
— Antiquarian  Researches,  introduction. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  286  and  682. 

John  L.  Stephens  says:  "Here  were  the  remains  of  a  cul- 
tivated, polished,  and  peculiar  people,  who  had  passed  through 
all  the  stages  incident  to  the  rise  and  fall  of  nations;  reached 
their  golden  age,  and  perished,  entirely  unknown.  .  .  .  These 
were  the  only  memorials  of  their  footsteps  upon  earth.  We 
lived  in  the  ruined  palace  of  their  kings,  we  went  up  to  their 
desolate  temples  and  fallen  altars,  and  wherever  we  moved 
we  saw  the  evidence  of  their  taste,  their  skill  in  arts,  their 
wealth  and  power." — Travels  in  Central  America,  vol.  2,  p. 
356. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  pages  617  and  624. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "This  ancient  race  seems  to  have 
occupied  nearly  the  whole  basin  of  the  Mississippi  and  its 
tributaries.  .  .  .  To  find  the  chief  seats  and  most  abundant 
remains  of  the  most  remarkable  civilization  of  this  old 
American  race,  we  must  go  still  farther  south  into  Central 
America  and  some  of  the  more  southern  states  of  Mexico. 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  9 

Here  ruins  of  many  ancient  cities  have  been  discovered,  .  .  . 
Most  of  these  ruins  were  found  buried  in  dense  forests,  where, 
at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest,  they  had  been  long 
hidden  from  observation.  .  .  .  The  evidence  they  furnish 
that  their  builders  had  remarkable  skill  in  architecture  and 
architectural  ornamentation.  .  .  .  These  edifices  were  finely 
and  often  elaborately  finished,  plaster,  stucco,  and  sculpture 
being  used." — Ancient  America,  pp.  32,  93,  99. 

Professor  Le  Plongeon  says:  "Anciently,  this  country 
[Yucatan]  now  well-nigh  depopulated,  was  thickly  peopled 
by  a  highly  civilized  nation.  If  we  are  to  judge  by  the  great 
number  of  large  cities  whose  ruins  exist,  scattered  in  the 
midst  of  the  forests  throughout  the  country,  and  by  the  stu- 
pendous edifices,  once  upon  a  time  temples  of  the  gods,  or 
palaces  of  the  kings  and  priests,  whose  walls  are  covered  with 
inscriptions,  bas-reliefs,  and  other  interesting  sculptures  that 
equal  in  beauty  of  design  and  masterly  execution  those  of 
Egypt  and  Babylon." — Sacred  Mysteries,  p.  70. 

Desire  Charnay  says:  "Numerous  races  who  succeeded 
each  other,  amalgamated  on  this  continent,  which,  until  lately, 
was  supposed  to  be  so  new,  and  is  in  truth,  so  old." — Ancient 
Cities  of  the  New  World,  p.  132. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  page  232. 

Josiah  Priest  says:  "But  what  has  finally  become  of  these 
nations,  and  where  are  their  descendants,  are  questions 
which,  could  they  be  answered,  would  be  highly  gratifying." 
— American  Antiquities,  p.  373,  edition  of  1833. 

William  Pidgeon  says:     "But  it  yet  remains  for  America 
to  awake  her  story  from  sleep,  to  string  lyre,  and  nerve  the 
pen,  to  tell  the  tale  of  her  antiquities,  as  seen  in  the  relics 
of  nations,  coeval,  perhaps,  with  the  oldest  works  of  man."- 
Antiquarian  Researches,  page  11,  edition  of  1858. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says:  "There  are  numerous  vague  tradi- 
tions of  settlements  or  nations  of  white  men,  who  lived  apart 
from  the  other  people  of  the  country,  and  were  possessed  of 
an  advanced  civilization." — Volume  5,  p.  24. 

William  C.  Bryant  says:  "But  behind  these  Indians,  who 
were  in  possession  of  the  country  when  it  was  discovered  by 


10  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

Europeans,  is  dimly  seen  the  shadowy  form  of  another  peo- 
ple who  have  left  many  remarkable  evidences  of  their  habits 
and  customs  and  of  a  singular  degree  of  civilization,  but  who 
many  centuries  ago,  disappeared.  .  .  .  The  evidences  of  the 
presence  of  this  ancient  people  are  found  almost  everywhere 
upon  the  North  American  Continent." — History  of  the  United 
States,  vol.  1,  p.  20,  edition  of  1876. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  33,  96,  97,  and  307. 

Right  Rev.  Charles  P.  Mcllvaine,  D.  D.,  says:  "Suppose 
that  in  searching  the  tumuli  that  are  scattered  so  widely 
over  this  country,  the  silent,  aged,  mysterious  remembrancers 
of  some  populous  race,  once  carrying  on  all  the  business  of 
life  where  now  are  only  the  wild  forests  of  many  centuries,  a 
race  of  whom  we  ask  so  often,  who  they  were,  whence  they 
came,  whither  they  went." — Preface  to  Delafield's  work, 
second  paragraph,  American  Antiquities,  edition  of  1839. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  page  61. 

RELICS  OF  TWO  CIVILIZED   NATIONS. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "The  evidence  of  repeated  recon- 
structions in  some  of  the  cities  before  they  were  deserted 
has  been  pointed  out  by  explorers.  .  .  .  Architectural  char- 
acteristics so  different  from  each  other,  that  it  is  as  impos- 
sible to  attribute  them  all  to  the  same  people  as  to  believe 
they  were  all  built  at  the  same  epoch." — Ancient  America, 
page  156. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  page  714. 

William  Pidgeon  says:  "From  these  facts,  in  connection 
with  the  traditions  of  De-Coo-Dah  respecting  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  these  regions,  as  of  various  languages,  cus- 
toms, and  color,  we  are  led  to  the  conclusion  that  at  least 
two  distinct  races  of  men  have  occupied  this  territory  at  dif- 
ferent eras,  and  that  both  became  nationally  extinct  anterior 
to  the  occupation  of  the  present  Indian  race." — Traditions 
of  De-Coo-Dah,  page  176. 

Desire  Charnay  says:  "The  lintels,  ...  of  stone,  were  cov- 
ered with  sculptures  and  inscriptions.  ...  In  this  building  are 
curious  traces  of  masonry  out  of  character  with  the  general 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  11 

structure,  showing  the  place  to  have  been  occupied  at  two 
different  epochs." — Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World,  page 
333. 

Again  he  says:  "Here  and  there  closed  up  passages, 
walls  rebuilt  with  materials  other  than  those  employed  in 
the  older  construction,  seem  to  indicate  that  the  palace  was 
occupied  at  two  different  periods." — Ibid.,  page  110. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  pages  231  and  232. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "Ruins  and  other  vestiges  reveal- 
ing an  ancient  civilization  are  found  throughout  the  whole 
southern  section  of  North  America,  extending  as  far  north 
as  New  Mexico  and  Arizona.  But  here  the  antiquities  do  not 
all  belong  to  the  same  period  in  the  past." — Ancient  America, 
page  76. 

Markham  says:  "The  ruins,  scattered  over  Peru,  differ  in 
style,  and  thus  give  evidence  of  having  been  erected  at  dif- 
ferent epochs." — Peru,  by  Markham,  page  65.  (Quoted  from 
report  of  Archasological  Committee,  page  25.) 

Short  says:  "They  were  preceded  by  a  race  possessed  of 
no  inferior  civilization,  who  were  not  their  ancestors,  but  a 
distinct  people." — North  Americans  of  Antiquity,  page  27. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says :  "These  are  not  the  oldest  cities  whose 
remains  are  still  visible,  but  they  may  have  been  built,  in 
part,  upon  the  foundations  of  cities  much  more  ancient.  ...  It 
can  be  seen  that  some  of  the  ruined  cities  which  can  now  be 
traced  were  several  times  renewed  by  reconstructions." — 
Ancient  America,  pp.  156,  152. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  pages  231  and  232. 

Again  he  says:  "According  to  Montesinos,  there  were 
three  distinct  periods  in  the  history  of  Peru.  Third  and  last 
came  the  period  of  the  Incas  who  revived  civilization  and  re- 
stored the  empire.  ...  It  was  originated,  he  says,  by  a 
people  led  by  four  brothers,  who  settled  in  the  valley  of 
Cuzco,  and  developed  civilization  there  in  a  very  human  way. 
The  youngest  of  these  brothers  assumed  supreme  authority, 
and  became  the  first  of  a  long  line  of  sovereigns." — Ancient 
America,  page  264. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  pages  5  and  6.  Laman,  Lemuel,  Sam, 
Nephi. 


12  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

He  again  says:  "This  old  town  became  a  ruin  in  ancient 
times.  After  remaining  long  in  a  ruined  condition  it  was 
again  rebuilt,  and  again  deserted  after  a  considerable  period 
of  occupation.  It  is  still  easy  to  distinguish  the  differences  in 
construction  between  the  two  periods.  "The  standing  walls 
rest  upon  ruins  of  greater  antiquity;"  and  while  the  primitive 
masonry  is  about  six  feet  thick,  that  of  the  later  period  is 
only  from  a  foot  to  a  foot  and  a  half  thick." — Ancient 
America,  page  80. 

See  Book  of  Mormon,  pages  202,  269,  270,  and  682. 

AMERICA'S  PROGENY. 

ANTIQUARIAN  EVIDENCE  IN  PROOF  OF  THE  CLAIMS  MADE  BY  THE 
BOOK    OF    MORMON. 

William  Pidgeon  says:  "It  can  not  be  any  longer  doubted 
that  there  has  been  a  day  when  this  continent  swarmed 
with  millions  of  inhabitants,  when  arts  and  sciences  flourished, 
when  men  lived,  and  labored,  and  reigned,  and  fought,  and 
were,  in  turn  conquerors,  and  conquered,  subjects,  and  kings." 
— Antiquarian  Researches,  introduction.  (Book  of  Mormon, 
p.  286,  v.  157,  and  p.  682,  v.  9.  I  quote  from  Lamoni  edition 
of  1908.) 

John  L.  Stephens  says:  "Here  were  the  remains  of  a  culti- 
vated, polished  and  peculiar  people,  who  had  passed  through 
all  the  stages  incident  to  the  rise  and  fall  of  nations;  reached 
their  golden  age,  and  perished,  entirely  unknown.  .  .  .  And 
these  were  the  only  memorials  of  their  footsteps  upon  earth. 
We  lived  in  the  ruined  palace  of  their  Kings;  we  went  up  to 
their  desolate  temples  and  fallen  altars,  and  wherever  we 
moved  we  saw  the  evidence  of  their  taste,  their  skill  in 
arts,  their  wealth  and  power." — Travels  in  Central  America, 
vol.  2,  p.  356.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p.  617,  v.  8.) 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "This  ancient  race  seems  to  have 
occupied  nearly  the  whole  basin  of  the  Mississippi  and  its 
tributaries.  ...  To  find  the  chief  seats  and  most  abundant 
remains  of  the  most  remarkable  civilization  of  this  old 
American  race,  we  must  go  still  farther  south  into  Central 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  13 

America  and  some  of  the  more  southern  states  of  Mexico. 
Here  ruins  of  many  ancient  cities  have  been  discovered,  .  .  . 
Most  of  these  ruins  were  found  buried  in  dense  forests, 
where,  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  Conquest,  they  had  been 
long  hidden  from  observation.  .  .  .  the  evidence  they  furnish 
that  their  builders  had  remarkable  skill  in  architecture  and 
architectural  ornamentation.  .  .  .  These  edifices  were  finely 
and  often  elaborately  finished,  plaster,  stucco,  and  sculpture 
being  used." — Ancient  America,  pp.  32,  93,  99. 

Professor  Le  Plongeon  says:  "Anciently,  this  country 
(Yucatan)  now  well  nigh  depopulated,  was  thickly  peopled 
by  a  highly  civilized  nation.  If  we  are  to  judge  by  the  great 
number  of  large  cities,  whose  ruins  exist,  scattered  in  the 
midst  of  the  forests  throughout  the  country,  and  by  the 
stupendous  edifices,  once  upon  a  time  temples  of  the  gods, 
or  palaces  of  the  kings  and  priests,  whose  walls  are  covered 
with  inscriptions,  bas-reliefs,  and  other  interesting  sculptures 
that  equal  in  beauty  of  design  and  masterly  execution  those 
of  Egypt  and  Babylon." — Sacred  Mysteries,  p.  70. 

Desire   Charnay   says:      "Numerous   races   who    succeeded 
each  other,  and  amalgamated  on  this  continent,  which,  until 
lately,  was  supposed  to  be  so  new,  and  is  in  truth,  so  old."- 
Ancient  Citfes  of  the  New  World,  p.  132.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p. 
232,  vs.  62,  63.) 

Josiah  Priest  says:  "But  what  has  finally  become  of  these 
nations,  and  where  are  their  descendants,  are  questions  which, 
could  they  be  answered,  would  be  highly  gratifying." — Ameri- 
can Antiquities,  p.  373.  Edition  of  1833. 

William  Pidgeon  says:  "But  it  yet  remains  for  America 
to  wake  her  story  from  sleep,  to  string  lyre,  and  nerve  the 
pen,  to  tell  the  tale  of  her  antiquities,  as  seen  in  the  relics 
of  nations,  coeval,  perhaps,  with  the  oldest  works  of  man." — 
Antiquarian  Researches,  p.  11.  Edition  of  1858. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says:  "There  are  numerous  vague  tradi- 
tions of  settlements  or  nations  of  white  men,  who  lived  apart 
from  the  other  people  of  the  country,  and  were  possessed  of 
an  advanced  civilization." — Vol.  5,  p.  24. 

William  C.  Bryant  says:     "But  behind  these  Indians,  who 


14  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

were  in  possession  of  the  country  when  it  was  discovered  by 
Europeans,  is  dimly  seen  the  shadowy  form  of  another  people 
who  have  left  many  remarkable  evidences  of  their  habits  and 
customs  and  of  a  singular  degree  of  civilization,  but  who 
many  centuries  ago,  disappeared.  .  .  .  The  evidences  of  the 
presence  of  this  ancient  people  are  found  almost  everywhere 
upon  the  North  American  Continent." — History  of  the  United 
States,  vol.  1,  p.  20.  Edition  of  1876.  (Book  of  Mormon, 
pp.  33,  96,  97,  307.) 

Right  Rev.  Charles  P.  Mcllvaine,  D.  D.,  says:  "Suppose 
that  in  searching  the  tumuli  that  are  scattered  so  widely 
over  this  country,  the  silent,  aged,  mysterious  remembrancers 
of  some  populous  race,  once  carrying  on  all  the  business  of 
life  where  now  are  only  the  wild  forests  of  many  centuries, 
a  race  of  whom  we  ask  so  often,  who  they  were,  whence 
they  came,  whither  they  went." — American  Antiquities,  second 
paragraph,  preface  to  Delafield's  work.  Edition  of  1839. 
(Book  of  Mormon,  p.  714.) 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "Some  investigators,  who  have  given 
much  study  to  the  antiquities,  traditions,  old  books,  and  prob- 
able geological  history  of  Mexico  and  Central  America,  believe 
that  the  first  civilization  the  world  ever  saw  appeared  in 
this  part  of  Ancient  America,  or  was  immediately  connected 
with  it.  They  hold  that  the  human  race  first  rose  to  civilized 
life  in  America,  which  is,  geologically,  the  oldest  of  the 
continents." — Ancient  America,  pp.  159,  160. 

Desire  Charnay  says:  "On  looking  at  them,  I  seem  to 
myself  to  be  carried  back  a  thousand  years  amidst  that 
grand  old  race  whose  ruins  I  am  here  to  study." — Ancient 
Cities,  p.  103.  Quoted  from  H.  A.  Stebbins'  lectures,  revised 
edition  of  1901. 

Again  he  says:  "Notwithstanding  the  assertion  of  most 
historians  respecting  the  work  of  the  Aborigines,  it  is  difficult 
to  account  how  with  the  tools  they  were  acquainted  with 
they  could  cut  not  only  the  hardest  substances,  but  also 
build  the  numerous  structures  which  are  still  seen  in  Mexico 
and  Central  America,  together  with  the  sculptures,  bas- 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  15 

reliefs,  statues,  and  inscriptions  like  those  we  reproduced." 
H.  A.  Stebbins'  lectures,  p.  27. 

RELICS   OF   TWO   CIVILIZED    NATIONS. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "The  evidence  of  repeated  recon- 
structions in  some  of  the  cities  before  they  were  deserted 
has  been  pointed  out  by  explorers.  ...  Architectural  charac- 
teristics so  different  from  each  other,  that  it  is  as  impossible 
to  attribute  them  all  to  the  same  people  as  to  believe  they 
were  all  built  at  the  same  epoch." — Ancient  America,  p.  156. 
(Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  232,  235.) 

William  Pidgeon  says:  "From  these  facts,  in  connection 
with  the  traditions  of  De-Coo-Dah  respecting  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  these  regions,  as  of  various  languages,  cus- 
toms, and  color,  we  are  led  to  the  conclusion  that  at  least 
TWO  distinct  races  of  men  have  occupied  this  territory  at 
different  eras,  and  that  both  became  nationally  extinct  anter- 
ior to  the  occupation  of  the  present  Indian  race." — Traditions 
of  De-Coo-Dah,  p.  176. 

Desire  Charnay  says:  "The  lintels,  ...  of  stone,  were  cov- 
ered with  sculptures  and  inscriptions.  ...  In  this  building  are 
curious  traces  of  masonry  out  of  character  with  the  general 
structure,  showing  the  place  to  have  been  occupied  at  TWO 
different  epochs  of  time." — Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World, 
p.  333. 

Again  he  says:  "Here  and  there  closed  up  passages, 
walls  rebuilt  with  materials  other  than  those  employed  in 
the  older  construction,  seem  to  indicate  that  the  palace  was 
occupied  at  TWO  different  periods."— Ibid.,  p.  110.  (Book  of 
Mormon,  pp.  232,  714.) 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says :  "Ruins  and  other  vestiges  that  reveal 
an  ancient  civilization  are  found  throughout  the  whole  south- 
ern section  of  North  America,  extending  as  far  as  New 
Mexico  and  Arizona.  But  here  the  antiquities  do  not  all 
belong  to  the  same  period  in  the  past." — Ancient  America, 
p.  76. 

Markham  says:  "The  ruins,  scattered  over  Peru,  differ 
in  style,  and  thus  give  evidence  of  having  been  erected  at 


16  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

different  epochs." — Peru,   by   Markham,   p.   65,   quoted  from 
report  of  Archaeological  Committee,  p.  25. 

John  T.  Short  says:  "They  (Indians)  were  preceded  by 
a  race  possessed  of  no  inferior  civilization,  who  were  not 
their  ancestors,  but  a  distinct  people." — North  Americans 
of  Antiquity,  p.  27. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "These  are  not  the  oldest  cities  whose 
remains  are  still  visible,  but  they  may  have  been  built,  in 
part,  upon  the  foundations  of  cities  more  ancient.  .  .  . 
It.  can  be  seen  that  some  of  the  ruined  cities  which  can  now 
be  traced  were  several  times  renewed  by  reconstructions. "- 
Ancient  America,  p.  156,  152.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p.  232.) 

Again  he  says:  "According  to  Montesinos,  there  were  three 
distinct  periods  in  the  history  of  Peru.  .  .  .  Third  and  last 
came  the  period  of  the  Incas  who  revived  civilization  and 
restored  the  empire.  ...  It  was  originated,  he  says,  by  a 
people  led  by  FOUR  brothers  who  settled  in  the  Valley  of  Cuzco, 
and  developed  civilization  there  in  a  very  human  way.  The 
youngest  of  these  brothers  assumed  supreme  authority  and 
became  the  first  of  a  long  line  of  sovereigns." — Ibid.,  p.  264. 
(Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  5,  6:  "Laman,"  "Lemuel,"  "Sam,"  and 
"Nephi.") 

Again  he  says:  "This  old  town  became  a  ruin  in  ancient 
times.  After  remaining  long  in  a  ruined  condition  it  was 
again  rebuilt,  and  again  deserted  after  a  considerable  period 
of  occupation.  It  is  still  easy  to  distinguish  the  differences 
in  construction  between  the  TWO  periods.  "The  standing 
walls  rest  upon  ruins  of  greater  antiquity;"  and  while  the 
primitive  masonry  is  about  six  feet  thick,  that  of  the  later 
period  is  only  from  a  foot  to  a  foot  and  a  half  thick."— 
Ibidv  p.  80.  (Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  270,  682. 

Albert  Gallatin  says:  "However  small  may  have  been  the 
number  of  those  first  emigrants,  an  equal  number  of  years 
would  have  been  more  than  sufficient  to  occupy  in  their  own 
way,  every  part  of  America." — Transactions  of  the  American 
Ethnological  Society,  vol.  1,  p.  179. 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  17 

FIRST  SETTLEMENT  FROM  THE  TOWER  OF  BABEL. 

Josephus  says:  "After  this  (confusion  of  tongues)  they 
were  dispersed  abroad,  on  account  of  their  languages,  and 
went  out  by  colonies  everywhere;  and  each  colony  took 
possession  of  that  land  which  they  light  upon,  and  unto  which 
God  led  them;  so  that  the  whole  continent  was  filled  with 
them,  both  the  inland  and  maritime  countries.  There  were 
some  also  who  passed  over  the  sea  in  ships,  and  inhabited 
the  Islands." — Antiquities  of  the  Jews,  chapter  5,  p.  36. 
(Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  202,  292,  714.) 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says:  "Votan  ...  is  said  to  have  been 
a  descendant  of  Noah,  and  to  have  assisted  at  the  building 
of  the  tower  of  Babel.  After  the  confusion  of  tongues  he 
led  a  portion  of  the  dispersed  people  to  America." — Native 
Races  of  the  Pacific  States,  vol.  5,  pp.  27,  28. 

Josiah  Priest  says:  "A  colony,  very  soon  after  the  con- 
fusion of  the  language  of  mankind,  found  their  way  to  what 
is  now  called  America." — American  Antiquities,  p.  199.  Edi- 
tion of  1833. 

Donnelly  says:  "After  men  had  multiplied,  they  erected 
a  very  high  'zacuali,'  which  is  to-day  a  tower  of  great  height, 
in  order  to  take  refuge  in  it  should  the  second  world  (age) 
be  destroyed.  Presently  their  languages  were  confused,  and, 
not  being  able  to  understand  each  other,  they  went  to  different 
parts  of  the  earth." — Atlantis,  pp.  103,  104.  Edition  of  1882. 

Desire  Charnay  says:  "Veytia,  like  all  historians  of  that 
time,  places  the  primitive  home  of  the  Toltecs  in  Asia,  to 
make  his  account  agree  with  Genesis,  where  it  is  said  that 
after  the  destruction  of  the  Babylonian  tower,  'the  Lord 
scattered  the  sons  of  men  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth.' 
...  by  means  of  large  flat  canoes,  and  square  rafts  made 
of  wood  and  reeds;  the  former  are  described,  and  called, 
acalli,  'Water  houses,'  in  their  manuscripts.  .  .  whence 
originated  the  various  tribes,  which  peopled  America. "- 
Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World,  p.  79. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says :  "Noah's  ark,  says  Ulloa,  gave  rise 
to  a  number  of  such  constructions;  and  the  experience  gained 
during  the  patriarch's  aimless  voyage  emboldened  his  descend- 


18  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

ants  to  seek  strange  lands  in  the  same  manner.  Driven 
to  America  and  the  neighboring  islands  by  winds  and  currents, 
.  .  .  they  remained  and  peopled  the  land.  .  .  .  Siguenza  .  .  . 
conjectured  that  .  .  .  (they)  left  Egypt  (Babylon)  for 
America  shortly  after  the  confusion  of  tongues,  .  .  ,  Clavi- 
jero  considers  it  proven  by  the  native  flood  myths  and  tradi- 
tions of  foreign  origin,  that  the  Americans  are  descandants 
of  Noah.  He  quotes  the  (Toitec)  tradition  of  Votan,  who 
is  declared  to  have  been  closely  connected  with  the  Babei 
builders.  .  .  .  According  to  the  common  version  of  the 
Mexican  flood  myths,  Coxcox  and  his  wife  Xochiquetzel  were 
the  only  human  beings  who  escaped  from  the  great  deluge 
which  covered  the  face  of  the  earth,-  in  the  age  of  water. 
How  when  the  water  went  down,  the  ark  in  which  they 
had  saved  themselves — the  hollow  trunk  of  a  bald  cypress — 
rested  upon  the  peak  of  Culhuacan;  and  how  the  dumb 
children  that  were  born  to  the  rescued  pair  were  taught  many 
languages  by  a  dove.  .  .  .  The  Peruvians  were  acquainted 
with  the  deluge,  and  believed  that  the  rainbow  was  the  sign 
that  the  earth  would  not  again  be  destroyed  by  water.  This 
somewhat  startling  announcement  is  made  by  Lord  Kings- 
borough,  and  he  shows  that  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt 
on  the  subject  in  an  eminently  characteristic  manner.  .  .  . 
Many  of  these  flood  myths  are  supplemented  with  an  account 
of  the  attempt  to  provide  against  a  second  deluge,  by  build- 
ing a  tower  of  refuge,  resembling  more  or  less  closely  the 
biblical  legend  of  the  Tower  of  Babel.  Thus  a  Cholultec 
legend  relates  that  .  .  .  the  anger  of  the  gods  was  aroused, 
and  they  slew  many  of  the  builders,  so  the  work  was  stopped. 
.  .  .  Those  myths  have  led  many  writers  to  believe  that  the 
Americans  had  a  knowledge  of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  while 
some  think  that  they  are  the  direct  descendants  of  certain 
of  the  builders  of  the  tower,  who  after  the  confusion  of 
tongues,  wandered  over  the  earth  until  they  reached  America. 
.  .  .  The  tradition  of  the  Toltecs  regarding  their  travels 
before  they  reached  Huehue  Tlapallan  has  been  the  theme 
of  much  speculation,  especially  as  connected  with  their  descent 
from  the  Babel  builders.  .  .  It  is  found  in  the  histories 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  19 

of  the  Toltecs  that  .  .  .  man  and  all  the  earth  were  destroyed 
by  great  showers  and  by  lightnings  from  heaven,  so  that 
nothing  remained,  and  the  most  lofty  mountains  wer2  ,  .  . 
submerged  to  the  depth  of  ...  fifteen  cubits;  and  here 
they  add  other  fables  of  how  men  came  to  multiply  agair, 
from  the  few  who  escaped  the  destruction  in  a  ...  ciosefl 
chest;  and  how  after  multiplying  the  men  built  ...  a  very 
high  tower,  in  which  to  take  refuge  when  the  world  should 
be  a  second  time  destroyed.  After  this  their  tongues  became 
confused,  and  not  understanding  each  other,  they  went  to 
different  parts  of  the  world.  The  Toltecs,  seven  in  number, 
with  their  wives,  who  understood  each  other's  speech,  after 
crossing  great  lands  and  seas,  and  undergoing  many  hardships, 
finally  arrived  in  America,  which  they  found  to  be  a  good 
land." — Native  Races  of  the  Pacific  States,  vol.  5,  pp.  10, 
16,  17,  21.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p.  714.  As  to  the  number 
that  came  with  Lehi.) 

Albert  Gallatin  says:  "I  can  not  see  any  possible  reason 
that  should  have  prevented  those  who  after  the  dispersion 
of  mankind  towards  the  east  and  northeast,  from  having 
reached  the  extremities  of  Asia,  and  passed  over  to  America 
within  five  hundred  years  after  the  flood." — Transactions  of 
the  American  Ethnological  Society,  vol.  1,  p.  179. 

John  T.  Short  says:  "Aboriginal  Americans  believed  in 
the  flood  and  had  traces  of  the  Tower  of  Babel." — North 
American  Antiquities,  p.  263. 

Josiah  Priest  says:  "This  is  consented  to  on  all  hands, 
and  even  contended  for  by  the  historian,  Humboldt.  In  order 
to  show  the  reader  the  propriety  of  believing,  that  a  colony, 
very  soon  after  the  confusion  of  the  language  of  mankind, 
found  their  way  to  what  is  now  called  America,  we  give  the 
tradition  of  the  Azteca  nation,  who  once  inhabited  Aztalan. 
.  .  .  The  tradition  commences  with  an  account  of  the  deluge, 
as  they  had  preserved  it  in  books  made  of  the  buffalo  and 
deer  skin,  on  which  there  is  more  certainty  than  if  it  had 
been  preserved  by  mere  oral  tradition,  handed  down  from 
father  to  son. 

"They  begin  by  painting,  or  as  we  woud  say,  by  telliner  us 


20  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

that  Noah,  whom  they  called  Tezpi,  saved  himself,  with  his 
wife,  whom  they  call  Xochiquetzal,  on  a  raft  or  canoe.  .  .  . 
The  raft  or  canoe  rested  on  or  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain, 
which  they  call  Colhuacan.  .  .  .  The  men  born  after  this 
deluge  were  born  dumb.  ...  A  dove  from  the  top  of  a 
tree  distributes  languages  to  them  in  the  form  of  an  olive 
leaf.  .  .  .  They  say,  that  on  this  raft,  beside  Tezpi  and  his 
wife,  were  several  children,  and  animals,  with  grain,  the 
preservation  of  which  was  of  importance  to  mankind.  .  .  . 
When  the  Great  Spirit,  .  .  .  ordered  the  waters  to  withdraw, 
Tezpi  sent  out  from  his  raft  a  vulture,  which  never  returned, 
on  account  of  the  great  quantities  of  dead  carcasses  which 
it  found  to  feed  upon.  Is  not  this  the  raven  of  Noah,  which 
did  not  return  when  it  was  sent  out  the  second  time,  for  the 
very  reason  here  assigned  by  the  Mexicans?  Tezpi  sent  other 
birds,  one  of  which  was  the  humming  bird;  this  bird  alone 
returned,  holding  in  its  beak  a  branch  covered  with  leaves. 
Is  not  this  the  dove?  Tezpi,  seeing  that  fresh  verdure  now 
clothed  the  earth,  quitted  his  raft  near  the  Mountain  of 
Colhuacan." — American  Antiquities,  pp.  199,  200.  Edition 
of  1833. 

Again  he  says:  "The  tongues  distributed  by  this  bird  were 
infinitely  various,  and  dispersed  over  the  earth.  But;  that  it 
so  happened  that  fifteen  heads  of  families  were  permitted  to 
speak  the  same  language,  these  are  the  same  shown  on  the 
plate.  These  traveled  till  they  came  to  a  country  which 
they  called  Aztalan."— Ibid.,  p.  202.  (Genesis  11:  9;  Book  of 
Mormon,  p.  714.) 

"While  scientists  are  searching  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates 
for  some  traces  of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  a  most  important  dis- 
covery concerning  this  famous  structure  is  reported  from  the 
Southwest.  In  the  mysterious  cliff  ruins  of  that  romantic 
region  students  have  found  what  they  believe  to  be  a  corrob- 
oration  of  the  Bible  story  of  the  Tower  of  Babel.  .  .  .  What 
more  likely  than  that,  having  lived  in  the  shadow  of  the 
Tower  of  Towers  on  the  plains  of  Shinar,  and  having  helped 
build  it,  they  should  have  departed  from  that  place  with  the 
tower  idea  indelibly  impressed  jpon  their  minds?  What 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  21 

more  natural  in  the  sequence  than  that  they  should  have 
retained  that  idea  when  they  built  in  other  parts  of  the 
world?  What  more  plausible  than  that  the  southwestern, 
cliff  dwellers  who  were,  perhaps,  the  first  arrivals  from 
Babel  upon  this  continent  should  have  reproduced  that  form 
of  structure  which  must  have  transcended  the  thought  of  all 
other  structural  forms  in  the  mind  of  any  that  hailed  from 
Babel?  One  can  look  at  the  wonderful  towers  of  the  Cliff 
Palace  in  Southwest  Colorado  and  seeing  them  in  the  light 
of  this  new  discovery,  utter  a  beatitude  like,  'Blessed  were 
the  ancient  cliff  builders,  for  they  saw  Babel.'  .  .  .  The  most 
satisfactory  proofs  of  this  corroboration  of  the  Bible  story 
of  Babel  are  to  be  found  within  a  one  hundred  mile  radius 
of  the  four  corners,  the  Southwesterner's  name  for  the  point 
at  which  Colorado,  Utah,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico  meet. 
In  this  canyon  scarred  land  are  the  three  most  wonderful 
cliff  villages  in  the  world,  the  Cliff  Palace  with  one"  hundred 
and  forty-five  rooms,  the  Spruce  Tree  House,  with  ninety, 
and  the  Balcony  House  with  thirty.  They  are  all  within  a 
day's  ride  of  Mancos,  Colorado,  and  the  greatest  distance 
between  any  two  of  them  is  four  miles." — Saint  Louis  Post- 
Dispatch,  Sunday  Magazine,  December  31,  1905. 

HOW  THE  TOWER  OF  BABEL  WAS  BUILT. 

From  the  Jewish  Encyclopedia,  we  find  the  following:  "Six 
hundred  thousand  men  were  engaged  forty-three  years  in 
building  the  Tower  of  Babel.  It  had  reached  such  a  height 
that  it  took  a  whole  year  to  hoist  up  necessary  building 
material  to  the  top ;  in  consequence  material  became  so  valua- 
ble that  the  people  cried  when  a  brick  fell  and  broke,  while 
they  remained  indifferent  when  a  man  fell  and  was  killed. 
They  behaved  also  heartlessly  toward  the  weak  and  sick  who 
could  not  assist  in  any  great  extent  in  the  building.  God  at 
first  permitted  the  people  to  continue  with  their  work,  waiting 
to  see  whether  they  would  not  desist  from  their  sinful 
undertaking,  and  when  they  still  continued,  he  endeavored  to 
induce  them  to  repent,  but  all  in  vain.  The  confounding  of 
languages  (before  that,  they  had  all  spoken  Hebrew)  then 


22  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

compelled  them  to  give  up  the  work,  many  also  perishing  on 
the  occasion;  for  if  anyone  received  stones  instead  of  mortar, 
through  misunderstanding  of  his  fellow-workers,  he  grew 
angry  and  threw  the  stones  upon  the  one  who  had  given  them. 
The  mighty  tower  was  blown  down  by  winds;  according  to 
the  opinion  of  others,  one  third  of  the  building  was  consumed 
by  fire,  one  third  sank  into  the  earth,  and  one  third  remained 
standing.  This  remnant  of  the  Tower  is  said  to  be  at  Bor- 
sippa." 

THE  SECOND  COLONY  FROM  JERUSALEM. 

William  Penn  wrote  thus,  August  13,  1683:  "The  natives 
.  .  .  are  generally  tall,  straight,  well-built,  and  of  singular 
proportion ;  they  tread  strong  and  clever,  and  mostly  walk  with 
a  lofty  chin.  .  .  .  Their  eye  is  little  and  black,  not  unlike  a 
straight-looked  Jew.  ...  I  have  seen  among  them  as  comely 
European-like  faces  of  both  sexes  as  on  your  side  of  the  sea; 
and  truly  an  Italian  complexion  hath  not  much  more  of  the 
white,  and  the  noses  of  several  of  them  have  as  much  of  the 
Roman.  .  .  .  For  their  original,  I  am  ready  to  believe  them 
to  be  of  the  Jewish  race — I  mean  of  the  stock  of  the  Ten 
Tribes — and  that  for  the  following  reasons;  first,  ...  in 
the  next  place,  I  find  them  to  be  of  the  like  countenance  and 
their  children  of  so  lively  a  resemblance  that  a  man  would 
think  himself  in  Duke's  Place  or  Berry  street  in  London  when 
he  seeth  them.  But  this  is  not  all:  they  agree  in  rites,  they 
reckon  by  moons,  they  offer  their  first  fruits,  they  have  a 
kind  of  a  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  they  are  said  to  lay  their 
altars  upon  twelve  stones,  their  mourning  a  year,  customs  of 
women,  with  many  other  things  that  do  not  now  occur."- 
Atlantis,  p.  185.  Edition  of  1882.  (Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  4, 
63.) 

John  L.  Stephens  says:  "According  to  the  manuscript  of 
Don  Juan  Torres,  a  grandson  of  the  last  King  of  Quinches, 
.  .  .  the  Toltecs  as  themselves,  descended  from  the  house  of 
Israel,  who  were  released  by  Moses  from  the  tyranny  of 
Pharaoh,  after  crossing  the  Red  Sea,  fell  into  idolatry." — 
Travels  in  Central  America,  vol.  2,  p.  172. 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  23 

Donnelly  says:  "There  is  scarcely  a  prominent  fact  in 
the  opening  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Genesis  that  can  not  be 
duplicated  from  the  legends  of  the  American  nations,  and 
scarcely  a  custom  known  to  the  Jews  that  does  not  find  its 
counterpart  among  the  people  of  the  New  World.  Even  in  the 
history  of  the  creation  we  find  these  similarities:  The  Bible 
tells  us  (Genesis  1:2)  that  in  the  beginning  the  earth  was 
without  form  and  void,  and  covered  with  water.  In  the 
Quiche  legends  we  are  told,  'At  first  all  was  sea — no  man, 
animal,  bird,  or  green  herb — there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but 
the  sea  and  the  heavens.'  The  Bible  says  (Genesis  1,  2)  :  'And 
the  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters.'  The 
Quiche  legend  says,  'The  Creator, — the  Former,  the  Dominator 
— the  feathered  serpent — those  that  give  life,  moved  upon  the 
waters  like  a  glowing  light.' 

"The  Bible  says  (Genesis  1:9),  'And  God  said,  Let  the 
waters  under  the  heaven  be  gathered  together  unto  one  place, 
and  let  the  dry  land  appear:  and  it  was  so.'  The  Quiche 
legend  says,  'The  creative  spirits  cried  out  "Earth!"  and  in 
an  instant  it  was  formed,  and  rose  like  a  vapor  cloud;  imme- 
diately the  plains  and  the  mountains  arose,  and  the  cypress 
and  pine  appeared.'  The  Bible  tells  us,  'And  God  saw  that 
it  was  good.'  The  Quiche  legend  says,  'Then  Gucumatz  was 
filled  with  joy,  and  cried  out,  "Blessed  be  thy  coming,  O 
Heart  of  Heaven,  Hurakan,  thunderbolt."  ' 

"The  order  in  which  the  vegetables,  animals,  and  man  were 
formed  is  the  same  in  both  records. 

"In  Genesis  (2:  7,)  we  are  told,  'And  the  Lprd  God 
formed  man  out  of  the  dust  of  the  ground.'  The  Quiche 
legend  says,  'The  first  man  was  made  of  clay;  but  he  had  no 
intelligence,  and  was  consumed  in  the  water.'  In  Genesis  the 
first  man  is  represented  as  naked.  The  Aztec  legend  says, 
'The  sun  was  much  nearer  the  earth  then  than  now,  and  his 
grateful  warmth  rendered  clothing  unnecessary.' 

"Even  the  temptation  of  Eve  reappears  in  the  American 
legends.  Lord  Kingsborough  says,  'The  Toltecs  had  paintings 
of  a  garden,  with  a  single  tree  standing  in  the  midst;  round 
the  root  of  the  tree  is  entwined  a  serpent,  whose  head  appear- 


24  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

ing  above  the  foliage  displays  the  face  of  a  woman.  Torque- 
mada  admits  the  existence  of  this  tradition  among  them,  and 
agrees  with  the  Indian  historians  who  affirm  that  this  was 
the  first  woman  in  the  world,  who  bore  children,  and  from 
whom  all  mankind  are  descended.'  (Mexican  Antiquities,  vol. 
8,  p.  19.) 

"There  is  also  a  legend  of  Suchiquecal,  who  disobediently 
gathered  roses  from  a  tree,  and  thereby  disgraced  and  injured 
herself  and  all  her  posterity."  (Mexican  Antiquities,  vol.  6, 
p.  401.)— Quoted  from  Atlantis,  pp.  198-200. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says  (Duran's  Theory  of  the  Indians  gives 
the  traditions)  :  "That  their  ancestors,  while  suffering  many 
hardships  and  persecutions,  were  prevailed  upon  by  a  great 
man,  who  became  their  chief,  to  flee  from  that  land  into 
another,  where  they  might  have  rest;  they  arrived  at  the  sea- 
shore, and  the  chief  struck  the  waters  with  a  rod  he  had  in 
his  hand;  the  sea  opened,  and  the  chief  and  his  followers 
marched  on,  but  were  soon  pursued  by  their  enemies;  they 
crossed  over  in  safety,  and  their  enemies  were  swallowed  up 
by  the  sea.  .  .  .  Another  tradition  transmitted  from  genera- 
tion to  generation,  and  recorded  in  pictures,  is  that  while 
their  first  ancestors  were  on  their  journey  to  the  promised 
land,  they  tarried  in  the  vicinity  of  a  certain  high  hill;  here 
a  terrible  earthquake  occurred,  and  some  wicked  people  who 
were  with  them  were  swallowed  up  by  the  earth  opening  up 
under  their  feet.  .  .  .  The  Israelites  were  divided  into  tribes 
and  chiefs  over  them,  so  the  Indians  divided  themselves;  each 
tribe  forming  a  little  community  within  the  nation — and  as 
the  nation  hath  its  particular  symbol  so  hath  each  tribe  the 
badge  from  which  it  is  demonstrated  (or  designated.)  .  .  . 
The  Hebrew  nation  were  ordered  to  worship  Jehovah  the  true 
and  the  living  God,  who  by  the  Indians  is  styled  Yohewah.  .  .  . 
Their  opinion  that  God  chose  them  out  of  all  the  rest  of  man- 
kind as  his  peculiar  and  beloved  people,  fills  both  the  white 
Jew  and  the  red  American  with  that  steady  hatred  against  all 
the  world,  which  renders  them  hated  and  despised  by  all."- 
Native  Races,  vol.  5  (footnote  on  pages  89,  90,  91,  92).  (Book 
of  Mormon  p.  15.) 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  25 

Donnelly  says:  "The  Mound  Builders  made  sun-dried  brick 
mixed  with  rushes,  as  the  Egytians  made  sun-dried  bricks 
mixed  with  straw;  they  worked  in  copper,  silver,  lead,  and 
there  are  evidences,  as  we  shall  see,  that  they  wrought  even 
in  iron." — Atlantis,  p.  376. 

Josiah  Priest  says:  "Among  these  ancient  nations  are 
found  many  more  traditions  corresponding  to  the  accounts 
given  by  Moses,  respecting  the  creation,  the  fall  of  man  by 
means  of  a  serpent — the  murder  of  Abel  by  his  brother,  etc. ; . 
all  of  which  are  denoted  in  their  paintings,  as  found  by  the 
earlier  travelers  among  them." — American  Antiquities,  p.  203. 

Desire  Charnay  says:  "Toltecs  .  .  .  were  supposed  to  have 
come  from  the  west,  and  to  have  brought  with  them  maize, 
cotton,  seeds,  and  the  vegetables  found  in  this  country;  that 
they  were  cunning  artists  in  working  gold,  precious  stones, 
and  other  curiosities." — Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World,  pp. 
82,  83. 

ABORIGINES,    ISRAELITES:    DESIGNATED   BY   THEIR   LANGUAGE. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says:  "The  theory  that  the  Americans  are 
Jewish  descent  has  been  discussed  more  minutely  and  at 
greater  length  than  any  other.  Its  advocates,  or  at  least  those 
who  have  made  original  researches,  are  comparatively  few, 
but  the  extent  of  their  investigations  and  the  multitude  of 
parallelisms  they  adduce  in  support  of  their  hypothesis,  ex- 
ceed by  far  anything  that  we  have  yet  encountered." — Native 
Races  of  Pacific  States,  vol.  5,  pp.  77,  78.  (Book  of  Mormon, 
pp.  2,  234.) 

Donnelly  says :  "It  would  appear  as  if  both  the  Phoenicians 
and  Egyptians  drew  their  alphabet  from  a  common  source,  of 
which  the  Maya  is  a  survival,  but  did  not  borrow  from  one 
another.  They  followed  out  different  characteristics  in  the 
same  original  hieroglyph,  as,  for  instance,  in  the  letter  b. 
And  yet  I  have  shown  that  the  closest  resemblances  exist  be- 
tween the  Maya  alphabet  and  the  Egyptian  -signs — in  the 
c,  h,  t,  i,  m,  n,  o,  q,  and  s, — eleven  letters  in  all;  in 
some  cases,  as  in  the  n  and  k,  the  signs  are  identical;  the  k, 
in  both  alphabets,  is  not  only  a  serpent,  but  a  serpent  with  a 


26  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

protuberance  or  convolution  in  the  middle!  If  we  "add  to 
the  above  the  b  and  u  referred  to  in  the  'Proceedings  of  the 
American  Philosophical  Society/  we  have  thirteen  letters  out 
of  sixteen  in  the  Maya  and  Egyptian  related  to  each  other. 
Can  any  theory  of  accidental  coincidences  account  for  all  this? 
And  it  must  be  remembered  that  these  resemblances  are  found 
between  the  only  two  phonetic  systems  of  alphabet  in  the 
world."— Atlantis,  p.  232. 

Again  he  says:  "Why  is  it  that  we  find  in  Ptolemy's 
Geography  of  Asia  Minor,  in  the  list  of  cities  in  Armenia 
Major  in  A.  D.  140,  the  names  of  five  cities  which  have  their 
counterparts  in  the  names  of  localities  in  Central  America? 

ARMENIAN  CITIES.  CENTRAL  AMERICAN  LOCALITIES. 

Choi.  Chol-ula. 

Colua.  Colua-can. 

Zuivana.  Zuivan. 

Cholima.  Colima. 

Zalissa.  Xalisco. 

—Atlantis,  p.  178. 

Marquis  de  Nadaillac  (Na-da-yak')  :  "There  is  a  very 
distinct  resemblance  in  some  of  these  hieroglyphics  (of  Cen- 
tral America  )  to  those  of  Egypt." — Prehistoric  America,  p. 
328.  Edition  of  1901. 

John  T.  Short  says:  "Senor  Melgar,  a  Mexican  is  convinced 
that  he  sees  a  resemblance  between  the  names  employed  by 
the  Chiapenecs  in  their  calendar  and  the  Hebrew,"  and  Mr. 
Short  gives  the  following  list: 

ENGLISH.  CHIAPENECS.  HEBREW. 

Son.  Been.  Ben. 

Daughter.  Batz.  Bath. 

Father.  Abagh.  Abba. 

Star  in  Zodiac.  Chimax.  Chimad. 

King.  Molo.  Maloc. 

Name  applied  to  Adam.      Abagh.  Abah. 

Afflicted.  Chanam.  Chanan. 

God.  Elab.  Elab. 

September.  Tsiquin.  Tischiri 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  27 

More.  Chic.  Chi. 

Rich.  Chabin.  Chabic. 

Son  of  Seth.  Enot.  Enos. 

To  give.  Votan.  Votan. 

River  of  Arica.  Lambat.  Lambotus. 

— North  American  Antiquities,  p.  475.  Edition  of  1888. 

Elder  S.  F.  Walker  quotes  Professor  Rafenesque:  "But  in 
the  great  variety  of  Egyptian  forms  of  the  same  letters,  I 
thought  that  I  could  trace  some  resemblance  with  our  Ameri- 
can glyphs.  In  fact,  I  could  see  in  them  the  Egyptian  cross, 
snake,  circle,  delta,  square,  trident,  eye,  feather,  fish,  hand, 
.  .  .  and  a  hundred  other  nameless  signs  of  Egypt."  He  quotes 
Le  Plongeon:  "I  must  speak  of  that  language  which  has 
survived  unaltered  through  the  vicissitudes  of  the  nations  that 
spoke  it  thousands  of  years  ago,  and  is  yet  the  general  tongue 
in  Yucatan  .  .  .  the  Maya.  .  .  .  The  Maya,  containing  words 
from  almost  every  language,  ancient  or  modern,  is  well  worth 
the  attention  of  philologists.  .  .  .  One  third  of  the  tongue  is 
pure  Greek.  Who  brought  the  dialect  of  Homer  to  America? 
Or  who  took  to  Greece  that  of  the  Mayas?  Greek  is  the  off- 
spring of  the  Sanscrit.  Is  Maya?  Or  are  they  coeval?  A 
clew  for  the  ethnologists  to  follow  the  migrations  of  the 
human  family  on  this  continent.  Did  the  bearded  men  whose 
portraits  are  carved  on  the  massive  pillars  of  the  fortress 
of  Itza,  belong  to  the  Maya  nation?  The  Maya  is  not  devoid  of 
words  from  the  Assyrian.  .  .  .  The  Maya  language  seems  to  be 
one  of  the  oldest  tongues  spoken  by  man,  since  it  contains 
words  and  expressions  of  all  or  nearly  all  of  the  known 
polished  languages  of  the  earth." — Ruins  Revisited,  pp. 
175-178. 

"The  primeval  inhabitants  of  North  America  were  Asiatics 
in  their  features,  their  language,  and  their  arts,  and  tradi- 
tion speaks  of  them  as  moving  from  the  direction  of  Asia." — 
Sketches  of  Creation,  p.  362. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says:  "Joseph  Merrick,  esq.,  a  highly 
respectable  character  in  the  church  at  Pittsfield,  gave  the 
following  account:  That  in  1815,  he  was  leveling  some  ground 
...  on  Indian  Hill.  .  .  .  After  the  work  was  done,  walking 


28  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

over  the  place,  he  discovered,  near  where  the  earth  had  been 
dug  the  deepest,  a  black  strap,  as  it  appeared,  about  six 
inches  in  length,  and  one  and  a  half  in  breadth,  and  about 
the  thickness  of  a  leather  trace  to  a  harness.  .  .  .  After  some 
time,  he  thought  he  would  examine  it;  but  in  attempting  to 
cut  it,  found  it  as  hard  as  bone;  he  succeeded,  however,  in 
getting  it  open,  and  found  it  was  formed  of  two  pieces  of  thick 
rawhide,  sewed  and  made  water  tight  with  the  sinews  of  some 
animal,  and  gummed  over;  and  in  the  fold  was  contained  four- 
fold pieces  of  parchment.  They  were  of  a  dark  yellow  hue, 

and  contained  some  kind  of  writing Mr.  Merrick  saved  and 

sent  them  to  Cambridge,  where  they  were  examined,  and 
discovered  to  have  been  written  with  a  pen,  in  Hebrew,  plain 
and  legible.  .  .  .  Quotations  from  the  Old  Testament.  The 
other  discovery  was  made  in  Ohio,  and  was  seen  by  my 
father,  Mr.  A.  A.  Bancroft,  who  thus  describes  it:  About 
eight  miles  southeast  of  Newark  there  was  formerly  a  large 
mound  .  .  .  the  county  surveyor  .  .  .  who  had  for  some  time 
been  searching  ancient  works,  turned  his  attention  to  this 
particular  pile.  He  employed  a  number  of  men  and  proceeded 
at  once  to  open  it.  Before  long  he  was  rewarded  by  finding 
in  the  center  and  near  the  surface  a  bed  of  the  tough  clay 
generally  known  as  pipeclay,  which  must  have  been  brought 
from  a  distance  of  some  twelve  miles.  Imbedded  in  the  clay 
was  a  coffin,  dug  out  of  a  burr  oak  log,  and  in  a  pretty  good 
state  of  preservation.  In  the  coffin  was  a  skeleton,  with  quite 
a  number  of  stone  ornaments  and  emblems  and  some  open 
brass  rings,  suitable  for  bracelets  or  anklets.  These  being 
removed,  they  dug  down  deeper,  and  soon  discovered  a  stone 
dressed  to  an  oblong  shape,  about  eighteen  inches  long  and 
twelve  wide,  which  proved  to  be  a  casket,  neatly  fitted 
and  completely  water-tight,  containing  a  slab  of  stone  of  hard 
and  fine  quality,  an  inch  and  a  half  thick,  eight  inches  long, 
four  and  a  half  inches  wide  at  one  end,  and  tapering  to  three 
inches  at  the  other.  Upon  the  face  of  the  slab  was  a  figure 
of  a  man,  apparently  a  priest,  with  a  long  flowing  beard,  and 
a  robe  reaching  to  his  feet.  Over  his  head  was  a  curved  line 
of  characters,  and  upon  the  edges  and  back  of  the  stone  were 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  29 

closely  and  neatly  carved  letters.  The  slab,  which  I  saw 
myself,  was  shown  to  the  Episcopalian  clergyman  of  Newark, 
and  he  pronounced  the  writing  to  be  the  ten  commandments  in 
ancient  Hebrew." — Native  Races  of  the  Pacific  States,  vol. 
5,  pp.  93-95. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says:  "For  instance,  both  Jews  and  Ameri- 
cans gave  their  temples  into  the  charge  of  priests,  burned 
incense,  anointed  the  body,  practiced  circumcision,  kept  per- 
petual fires  on  their  altars,  .  .  .  slew  the  adulterer,  made  it 
unlawful  for  a  man  to  dress  like  a  woman,  or  a  woman  like 
a  man,  put  away  their  brides  if  they  proved  to  have  lost 
their  virginity,  and  kept  the  ten  commandments." — Native 
Races,  vol.  5,  pp.  82,  83. 

Again:  "The  Mexicans  applied  the  blood  of  -  sacrifices  to 
the  same  uses  as  the  Jews;  they  poured  it  upon  the  earth, 
they  sprinkled  it,  they  marked  persons  with  it,  and  they 
smeared  it  upon  walls  and  other4  inanimate  things. 

"No  one  but  the  Jewish  high  priest  might  enter  the  Holy 
of  Holies.  A  similar  custom  obtained  in  Peru.  Both  Mexicans 
and  Jews  regarded  certain  animals  as  unclean  and  unfit  for 
food.  .  .  .  Absolutions  formed  an  essential  part  of  the  cere- 
monial law  of  the  Jews  and  Mexicans.  The  opinions  of  the 
Mexicans  with  regard  to  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  accorded 
with  those  of  the  Jews."— Ibid.,  pp.  85,  86. 

Delafield  says:  "Baron  Humboldt  considers  the  Mexican 
paintings  as  rather  corresponding  with  the  hieratic  than  the 
hieroglyphic  writings  of  the  Egyptians,  as  found  on  the 
rolls  of  papyrus  in  the  swathings  of  the  mummies,  and  which 
may  be  considered  paintings  of  a  mixed  kind,  because  they 
unite  symbolical  and  isolated  characters  with  the  representa- 
tion of  an  action.  It  is  the  opinion  of  the  author  that  further 
investigations  and  discoveries  in  deciphering  Mexican  hiero- 
glyphic paintings  will  exhibit  a  close  analogy  to  the  Egyp- 
tian."— American  Antiquities,  p.  46.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p. 
713.) 

Again:  "One  of  the  most  interesting  sources  of  comparison 
between  Mexico,  Peru,  and  Egypt,  is  to  be  found  in  an 
investigation  of  their  hieroglyphic  system.  Each  of  these 


30  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

countries  had  a  peculiar  method  of  recording  events  by  means 
of  hieroglyphic  signs,  sculpturing  them  on  monuments  and 
buildings  and  portraying  them  on  papyrus  (papirus)  and 
maguey." — Ibid.,  p.  42. 

"Many  Chiapanecs  and  Hebrew  words  are  almost  the  same 
in  Son,  Daughter,  Father,  Star;  in  Zodiac,  King;  name 
applied  to  Adam,  Afflicted,  God,  September,  More,  Rich,  Seth 
— son  of  Adam.  McNair  Wright  says,  that  the  native  of 
South  America  had  five  cities  with  names  identical  with 
cities  in  Asia  Minor,  this  can  hardly  be  accidental." — Bricks 
from  Babel,  p.  164. 

LED  TO  AMERICA  BY  FOUR  BROTHERS. 

—  J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "According  to  Montesinos,  (Mon-ta- 
se-nos)  there  were  three  distinct  periods  in  the  history  of 
Peru.  First,  there  was  a  period,  which  began  with  the  origin 
of  civilization,  and  lasted  until  the  first  or  second  century 
of  the  Christian  era.  ...  It  was  originated,  he  says,  by  a 
people  led  by  four  brothers,  who  settled  in  the  Valley  of  Cuzco, 
and  developed  civilization  there  in  a  very  human  way.  The 
youngest  of  these  brothers  assumed  supreme  authority,  and 
became  the  first  of  a  long  line  of  sovereigns." — Ancient 
America,  p.  264.  (Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  5,  6.) 

"Its  first  inhabitants  flowed  in  abundantly  toward  the  Valley 
of  Cuzco,  conducted  by  four  brothers,  .  .  .  The  youngest  of 
the  brothers,  who,  according  to  tradition,  was  at  the  same 
time  the  most  skilled  and  hardy." — Peruvian  Antiquities,  p. 
52;  1853. 

THE    CALENDAR   OF   THE   ANCIENT   AMERICANS    INDICATES    THEIR 

ORIGIN. 

Donnelly  says:  "The  Mexican  century  began  on  the  26th 
of  February,  and  the  26th  of  February  was  celebrated  from 
the  time  of  Nabonassor,  747  B.  c.,  because  the  Egyptian 
priests,  conformably  to  their  astronomical  observations,  had 
fixed  the  beginning  of  the  month  Toth,  and  the  commencement 
of  their  year,  at  noon  on  that  day." — Atlantis,  p.  368. 

Bancroft,  in  his  footnotes,  says:  "They  count  time  after 
the  manner  of  the  Hebrews,  reckoning  years  by  lunar  months." 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  31 

—Native  Races  of  the  Pacific  States,  vol.  5,  p.  92.  (Book 
of  Mormon,  p.  335,  v.  9.) 

John  T.  Short  says:  "The  calendar  system  of  the  Mayas 
and  Nahuas  present  analogies  to  the  system  employed  by  the 
Persians,  Egyptians,  and  certain  Asiatic  nations,  and  the 
presumption  is  very  strong  that  the  latter  furnished  the 
ground  plan  upon  which  the  Nahua  system  was  constructed." 
— North  Americans,  p.  519. 

Marquis  De  Nadaillac,  (Na-da-yak')  says:  "The  various 
races  which  occupied  Central  America  had  some  knowledge  of 
astronomy.  They  were  acquainted  with  the  division  of  time 
founded  upon  the  motion  of  the  sun,  and  long  before  the 
conquest  they  possessed  a  regular  system." — Prehistoric 
America,  p.  305.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p.  585.) 

Donnelly  says:  "It  will  be  conceded  that  a  considerable 
degree  of  astronomical  knowledge  must  have  been  necessary 
to  reach  the  conclusion  that  the  true  year  consisted  of  three 
hundred  and  sixty-five  days  and  six  hours  (modern  science 
has  demonstrated  that  it  consists  of  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  days  and  five  hours,  less  ten  seconds)  ;  and  a  high  degree 
of  civilization  was  requisite  to  insist  that  the  year  must  be 
brought  around,  by  the  intercalation  of  a  certain  number  of 
days  in  a  certain  period  of  time,  to  its  true  relation  to  the 
seasons.  Both  were  the  outgrowth  of  a  vast,  ancient  civiliza- 
tion of  the  highest  order." — Atlantis,  p.  368. 

Josephus  says:  "Berosus  mentions  our  father  Abram,  with- 
out naming  him,  when  he  says  thus,  'In  the  tenth  generation 
after  the  flood,  there  was  among  the  Chaldeans  a  man  right- 
eous and  great,  and  skilled  in  the  celestial  science.'  " — Anti- 
quities of  the  Jews,  book  1,  chap.  7,  par.  2,  p.  38.  (Book  of 
Mormon,  p.  350.) 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "Mr.  Schoolcraft  gives  this  account 
of  a  discovery  made  in  West  Virginia:  'Antique  tube:  tele- 
scopic device.  In  the  course  of  excavations  made  in  1842  in 
the  easternmost  of  the  three  mounds  of  the  Elizabethtown 
group,  several  tubes  of  stone  were  disclosed,  the  precise 
object  of  which  has  been  the  subject  of  various  opinions. 
The  longest  measured  twelve  inches,  the  shortest  eight.  Three 


32  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

of  them  were  carved  out  of  steatite,  being  skillfully  cut  and 
polished.  The  diameter  of  the  tube  externally  was  one  inch 
and  four  tenths;  the  bore,  eight  tenths  of  an  inch.  This 
caliber  was  continued  till  within  three  eighths  of  an  inch  of 
the  sight  end,  when  it  diminished  to  two  tenths  of  an  inch. 
By  placing  the  eye  at  the  diminished  end,  the  extraneous 
light  is  shut  from  the  pupil,  and  distant  objects  are  more 
clearly  discerned." — Ancient  America,  p.  42. 

Again  he  says:  "In  this  part  of  Mexico  Captain  Dupaix 
examined  a  peculiar  ruin,  of  which  he  gave  the  following 
account:  'Near  the  road  from  the  village  of  Tlalmanalco  to 
that  called  Mecamecan,  about  three  miles  east  of  the  latter, 
there  is  an  isolated  granite  rock,  which  was  artificially  formed 
into  a  kind  of  pyramid  with  six  hewn  steps  facing  the  east. 
The  summit  of  this  structure  is  a  platform,  or  horizontal 
plane,  well  adapted  to  observation  of  the  stars  on  every  side 
of  the  hemisphere.  It  is  almost  demonstrable  that  this  very 
ancient  monument  was  exclusively  devoted  to  astronomical 
observations,  for  on  the  south  side  of  the  rock  are  sculptured 
several  hieroglyphical  figures  having  relation  to  astronomy. 
The  most  striking  figure  in  the  group  is  that  of  a  man  in 
profile,  standing  erect,  and  directing  his  view  to  the  rising 
stars  in  the  sky.  He  holds  to  his  eye  a  tube  or  optical  instru- 
ment. Below  his  feet  is  a  frieze  divided  into  six  compart- 
ments with  as  many  celestial  signs  carved  on  its  surface.' 
It  has  been  already  stated  that  finely  wrought  'telescopic 
tubes'  have  been  found  among  remains  of  the  Mound  Builders. 
They  were  used,  it  seems,  by  the  ancient  people  of  Mexico 
and  Central  America,  and  they  were  known  also  in  ancient 
Peru,  where  a  silver  figure  of  a  man  in  the  act  of  using  such 
a  tube  has  been  discovered  in  one  of  the  old  tombs." — Ancient 
America,  pp.  122,  123. 

Again:  "They  had  an  accurate  measure  of  the  solar  year 
and  a  system  of  chronology." — Ibid.,  p.  187. 

Josiah  Priest  quotes  Atwater:  "I  am  convinced  from  an 
attention  to  many  hundreds  of  these  works,  in  every  part  of 
the  west  which  I  have  visited,  that  their  authors  had  a  knowl- 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  33 

edge  of  astronomy." — American  Antiquities,  p.  265.  Edition 
of  1833. 

Delafield  says:  "I  have  also  recognized  in 'your  memoir  on 
the  division  of  time  among  the  Mexican  Nations,  compared 
with  those  of  Asia,  some  very  striking  analogies  between  the 
Toltec  characters  and  institutions  of  observed  on  the  banks 
of  the  Nile.  Among  these  analogies  there  is  one  which  is 
worthy  of  attention.  It  is  the  use  of  the  vague  year  of  three 
hundred  and  sixty-five  days,  composed  of  equal  months,  and 
of  five  complementary  days,  equally  employed  at  Thebes  and 
Mexico,  a  distance  of  three  thousand  leagues  (9,000  miles). 
.  .  .  The  use  of  a  year  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days 
and  a  quarter,  is  a  proof  that  it  was  either  borrowed  from  the 
Egyptians,  or  that  they  had  a  common  origin." — American 
Antiquities,  pp.  52,  53. 

Again:  "From  the  earliest  ages,  we  find  skill  and  knowl- 
edge in  astronomy;  and  the  more  we  examine,  the  more  we 
are  surprised  at  the  extent  of  astronomical  science  in  the 
earliest  history  of  the  world." — Ibid.,  p.  48. 

ABORIGINES  OF  AMERICA  METAL  WORKERS. 

Nadaillac  says:  "Excavations  near  Davenport,  Iowa.  .  .  . 
The  objects  placed  with  the  dead  consisted  of  a  large  sea- 
shell,  .  .  .  two  unused  copper  axes." — Prehistoric  America,  p. 
113. 

Josiah  Priest  says:  "A  Mr.  Thomas  Lee  discovered,  not 
long  since,  on  his  farm,  in  Tompkins  County  in  the  State  of 
New  York,  the  entire  iron  works  of  a  wagon,  reduced  to 
rust.  From  this  discovery  much  might  be  conjectured  re- 
specting the  state  of  cultivation,  as  a  wagon  denotes  not  only 
a  knowledge  of  mechanic  arts,  equal,  perhaps,  in  that  respect 
with  the  present  times;  but  also  that  roads  existed,  or  a  wagon 
could  not  have  traversed  the  country." — American  Antiquities, 
p.  254.  Edition  of  1834. 

Morse  says:  "In  clearing  out  a  spring  near  some  ancient 
ruins  of  the  west,  on  the  bank  of  the  Little  Miami,  not  far 
its  entrance  into  the  Ohio,  was  found  a  copper  coin,  four 
feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth;  from  the  fac  simile  of 


34  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

which  it  appears,  that  the  characters  on  the  coin  are  old 
Persian  characters."  (Morse's  Universal  Geography,  vol.  1, 
p.  442.)  Ibid.,  T74. 

Josiah  Priest  says:  "In  Virginia,  near  Blacksburgh,  eighty 
miles  from  Marietta,  thjere  was  found  the  half  of  a  steel  bow, 
which,  when  entire,  would  measure  five  or  six  feet. — P.  177, 
edition  of  1834. 

Nadaillac  says:  "At  Swanton,  Vermont,  an  old  burial 
place  has  been  discovered,  in  the  midst  of  a  forest  where  ven- 
erable trees  replaced  others  yet  more  ancient.  Here  the  exca- 
vations yielded  numerous  copper  tubes,  the  length  of  which 
varied  from  three  to  four  inches.  The  sheet  of  copper  had 
been  drawn  out,  beaten,  and  rolled  in  a  manner  giving  a 
very  high  idea  of  the  skill  of  the  workman." — Prehistoric 
America,  p.  165.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p,  63. ) 

J.  D.  Baldwin  sa^s:  "Relics  of  art  have  been  dug  from 
some  of  the  mounds,  consisting  of  a  considerable  variety  of 
ornaments  and  implements,  made  of  copper,  silver,  obsidian, 
porphyry,  and  greenstone,  finely  wrought.  There  are  axes, 
single  and  double;  adzes,  chisels,  drills  or  gravers,  lance 
heads,  knives,  bracelets,  pendants,  beads,  and  the  like,  made 
of  copper." — Ancient  America,  p.  40. 

Again:  "Modern  mining  on  Lake  Superior  began  effect- 
ively in  1845.  The  whole  copper  region  has  not  been  fully 
explored.  Works  of  the  ancient  miners  are  found  at  all  the 
mines  of  any  importance;  and  they  show  remarkable  skill 
•in  discovering  and  tracing  actual  veins  of  the  metal." — Ibid., 
p.  46.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p.  742.) 

Donnelly  says:  "We  find  the  remains  of  an  iron  sword 
and  meteoric  iron  weapons  in  the  mounds  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  while  the  name  of  the  metal  is  found  in  the  ancient 
languages  of  Peru  and  Chili,  and  the  Incas  worked  in  iron  on 
the  shores  of  Lake  Titicaca." — Atlantis,  p.  462.  (Book  of 
Mormon,  p.  742.) 

Nadaillac  says:  "In  one  mine,  which  had  been  choked  up  in 
the  course  of  years  with  earth  and  vegetable  refuse,  the  re- 
mains of  several  generations  of  trees,  was  found,  at  about 
eighteen  feet  from  the  surface,  a  block  of  metal  measuring 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  35 

two  feet  long  by  three  wide  and  two  thick,  and  weighing  nearly 
six  tons.  This  mass  had  been  placed  on  rollers  from  six  to 
eight  inches  in  diameter,  the  edges  of  which  still  bore  the 
marks  of  a  sharp  instrument." — Prehistoric  America,  p.  178. 

Again:  "Everywhere  copper  implements  were  found  side  by 
side  with  stone,  mostly  bearing  marks  of  long  service.  One 
mallet  weighed  more  than  twenty  pounds.  Like  all  other 
copper  objects  it  had  been  made  by  hammering  unheated.  .  .  . 
Toltecs  worked  in  gold,  silver,  copper,  tin,  and  lead.  Their 
jewelry  is  celebrated."— Ibid.,  pp.  179,  180.  Edition  of  1901. 

Josiah  Priest  says:  "In  the  county  of  Haversham,  in  North 
Carolina,  was  lately  dug  out  of  the  earth,  at  a  place  where  the 
gold  ore  is  found,  a  small  vessel  in  the  form  of  a  skillet.  It 
was  fifteen  feet  under  ground,  made  of  a  compound  of  tin  anu 
copper,  with  a  trace  of  iron." — American  Antiquities,  p.  398. 

Again :  "Weapons  of  brass  have  been  found  in  many  parts 
of  America,  as  in  the  Canadas,  Florida,  etc.  with  curiously 
sculptured  stones,  all  of  which  go  to  prove  that  this  country 
was  once  peopled  with  civilized,  industrious  nations." — Ibid., 
p.  223.  Edition  of  1834.  (Book  of  Mormon  p.  758.) 

Desire  Charnay  says:  "Hatchets,  arms,  and  scissors  were 
made  of  copper  found  in  the  mountains  of  Zocatollan." — An- 
cient Cities,  p.  70. 

William  Pidgeon  says:  "On  bank  of  the  River  Des  Peres,  in 
Missouri,  was  found,  ...  a  genuine  Roman  coin.  A  Persian 
coin  also  found  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  River." — Antiquarian 
Researches,  pp.  16,  17. 

"Brass,  an  important  alloy,  consisting  of  copper,  and  zinc. 
The  proportions  in  which  the  two  metals  are  combined  differ 
considerably  in  different  kinds  of  brass.  It  is  malleable  and 
ductile  so  that  it  can  be  easily  rolled  into  thin  sheets,  or 
hammered  into  any  desired  shape.  This  alloy  was  known 
to  the  ancients  and  was  made  by  them  before  they  had  any 
knowledge  of  metal  zinc  as  such.  It  was  well  known  by 
Strabo,  who  describes  the  mode  of  manufacture.  .  .  .  And 
it  is  not  at  all  unlikely  the  same  was  the  case  with  bronze, 
and  one  of  its  constituents,  tin." — Century  Dictionary. 

"Among   the    Greeks,    and    Romans,   books   of   wood   were 


36  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

common.  For  the  more  important  purposes  they  also  employed 
ivory  as  well  as  bronze  and  other  metals." — American  Cyclo- 
pedia, Art.  "Book." 

"Copper  and  brass  plates  were  very  early  in  use,  and  a 
bill  of  feoffment  on  copper  was  some  years  since,  discovered 
in  India,  bearing  date  one  hundred  years  before  Christ. "- 
Condensed  Cyclopedia  (W.  S.  Trigg,  Pub.,  N.  Y.),  vol.  3,  no. 
231,  p.  57. 

"The  materials  generally  used  by  the  ancients  for  their 
books  were  liable  to  be  easily  destroyed  by  the  damp,  when 
hidden  in  the  earth;  and  in  times  of  war,  devastation,  and 
rapacity,  it  was  necessary  to  bury  in  the  earth  whatever  they 
wished  to  preserve  from  the  attacks  of  fraud  and  violence. 
With  this  view  Jeremiah  ordered  the  writings  which  he  deliv- 
ered to  Baruch  to  be  put  in  an  earthen  vessel.  (Jeremiah 
32.)  In  the  same  manner  the  ancient  Egyptians  made  use  of 
earthen  urns  or  pots  of  proper  shape  for  containing  whatever 
they  wanted  to  inter  in  the  earth  and  which  without  such 
would  have  been  destroyed." — Watson's  Bible  Dictionary,  171, 
(Book  of  Mormon,  p.  7.) 

"Tablets,  and  sometimes  several  tablets  formed  into  a  book, 
like  the  wooden  tablets  consisting  of  plates  of  lead,  copper, 
brass  and  other  metals  were  anciently  used  either  to  form 
leaves  in  which  the  wax  might  be  spread,  or  else  for  the 
writings  to  be  engraved  upon  them.  The  latter  process  is 
exceedingly  ancient.  Pliny  mentions  that  leaden  sheets  or 
plates  were  used  for  important  public  documents." — Pictorial 
Illustrations  of  the  Bible,  by  Robert  Sears. 

"And  every  base  had  four  brazen  wheels,  and  plates  of 
brass."—!  Kings  7:  30. 

Apocrypha:  "And  he  commanded  that  this  writing  should 
be  put  in  tables  of  brass."---!  Maccabees  14:  48. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "They  had  great  skill  in  the  art 
of  working  metals,  especially  gold  and  silver.  Besides  these 
precious  metals,  they  had  copper,  tin,  lead,  and  quicksilver. 
.  .  .  Their  goldsmiths  and  silversmiths  had  attained  very  great 
proficiency.  They  could  melt  the  metals  in  furnaces,  cast 
them  in  moulds  made  of  clay  and  gypsum,  hammer  their  work 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  37 

with  remarkable  dexterity,  inlay  it,  and  solder  it  with  great 
perfection." — Ancient  America,  pp.  248,  249. 

Josiah  Priest  says:  "Near  the  falls  of  Ohio,  six  brass  orna- 
ments, such  as  soldiers  usually  wear  in  front  of  their  belts, 
was  dug  up,  attached  to  six  skeletons." — American  Antiquities, 
p.  226.  Edition  of  1834. 

Delafield  says:  "In  Liberty  Township,  Washington  County, 
Ohio,  are  yet  to  be  seen  twenty  or  thirty  rude  furnaces,  built 
of  stone,  with  hearths  of  clay,  containing  pieces  of  stone-coal 
and  cinders,  perhaps  used  in  smelting  ore.  Large  trees  are 
still  growing  on  them,  and  attest  their  age.  They  stand 
in  the  midst  of  a  rich  body  of  iron  ore,  and  in  a  wild,  hilly, 
and  rough  part  of  the  country,  better  adapted  to  manufacture 
than  to  agriculture." — American  Antiquities,  p.  55.  (Book 
of  Mormon,  p.  63.) 

Donnelly  says :  "The  Mound  Builders  made  sun-dried  brick, 
mixed  with  rushes,  as  the  Egyptians  made  sun-dried  bricks 
mixed  with  straw;  they  worked  in  copper,  silver,  lead,  and 
there  are  evidences,  as  we  shall  see,  that  they  wrought  even 
in  iron.  Copper  implements  are  very  numerous  in  the  mounds. 
Copper  axes,  spearheads,  hollow  buttons,  bosses  for  ornaments, 
bracelets,  rings,  etc.,  are  found  in  very  many  of  them  strik- 
ingly similar  to  those  of  the  Bronze  Age  in  Europe." — Atlantis, 
p.  376.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p.  15.) 

THE  GREAT  PERUVIAN  PUBLIC  ROADS. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "Nothing  in  ancient  Peru  was  more 
remarkable  than  the  public  roads.  No  ancient  people  has 
left  traces  of  works  more  astonishing  than  these,  so  vast 
was  their  extent,  and  so  great  the  skill  and  labor  required 
to  construct  them.  One  of  these  roads  ran  along  the  moun- 
tains through  the  whole  length  of  the  empire,  from  Quito  to 
Chili. 

"Another,  starting  from  this  at  Cuzco,  went  down  to  the 
coast  and  extended  northward  to  the  equator.  These  roads 
were  built  on  beds  or  'deep  Binder  structures'  of  masonry.  The 
width  of  the  roadways  varied  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet, 
and  they  were  made  level  and  smooth  by  paving,  and  in  some 


38  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

places  by  a  sort  of  macadamizing  with  pulverized  stone  mixed 
with  lime  and  bituminous  cement.  This  cement  was  used  in  all 
the  masonry.  On  each  side  of  the  roadway  was  'a  very  strong 
wall  more  than  a  fathom  in  thickness.'  These  roads  went 
over  marshes,  rivers,  and  great  chasms  of  the  sierras,  and 
through  rocky  precipices  and  mountain  sides.  The  great  road 
passing  along  the  mountains  was  a  marvelous  work. 
In  many  places  its  way  was  cut  through  rock  for  leagues. 
Great  ravines  were  filled  up  with  solid  masonry.  Rivers  were 
crossed  by  means  of  a  curious  kind  of  suspension  bridges,  and 
no  obstruction  was  encountered  which  the  builders  did  not 
overcome.  The  builders  of  our  Pacific  Railroad,  with  their 
superior  engineering  skill  and  mechanical  appliances,  might 
reasonably  shrink  from  the  cost  and  the  difficulties  of  such  a 
work  as  this.  Extending  from  one  degree  north  of  Quito  to 
Cuzco,  and  from  Cuzco  to  Chili,  it  was  quite  as  long  as  the 
two  Pacific  railroads,  and  its  wild  route  among  the  mountains 
was  far  more  difficult. 

"Sarmiento,  describing  it,  said,  'It  seems  to  me  that  if  the 
emperor  (Charles  V)  should  see  fit  to  order  the  construction 
of  another  road  like  that  which  leads  from  Quito  to  Cuzco, 
or  that  which  from  Cuzco  goes  toward  Chili,  I  certainly 
think  he  would  not  be  able  to  make  it,  with  all  his  power.' 
Humboldt  examined  some  of  the  remains  of  this  road,  and 
described  as  follows  a  portion  of  it  seen  in  a  pass  of  the 
Andes,  between  Mansi  and  Loxa:  'Our  eyes  rested  continually 
on  superb  remains  of  a  paved  road  of  the  Incas.  The  road- 
way, paved  with  well-cut,  dark  porphyritic  stone,  was  twenty 
feet  wide,  and  rested  on  deep  foundations.  This  road  was 
marvelous.  None  of  the  Roman  roads  I  have  seen  in  Italy, 
in  the  South  of  France,  or  in  Spain,  appeared  to  me  more 
imposing  than  this  work  of  the  ancient  Peruvians.'  He  saw 
remains  of  several  other  shorter  roads  which  were  built  in 
the  same  way,  some  of  them  between  Loxa  and  the  River 
Amazon.  Along  these  roads  at  equal  distances  were  edifices, 
a  kind  of  caravanseras,  built  of  hewn  stone,  for  the  accom- 
modation of  travelers.  These  great  works  were  described  by 
every  Spanish  wri+»r  on  Peru,  and  in  some  accounts  of  them 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  39 

we  find  suggestions  in  regard  to  their  history.  They  are 
called  'roads  of  the  Incas,'  but  they  were  probably  much  older 
than  the  time  of  these  rulers.  The  mountain  road  running 
toward  Quito  was  much  older  than  the  Inca  Huayna  Capac, 
to  whom  it  has  sometimes  been  attributed.  It  is  stated  that 
when  he  started  by  this  route  to  invade  the  Quitus,  the  road 
was  so  bad  that  'he  found  great  difficulties  in  the  passage.' 
It  was  then  an  old  road,  much  out  of  repair,  and  he  immedi- 
ately ordered  the  necessary  reconstructions.  Gomara  says, 
'Huayna  Capac  restored,  enlarged,  and  completed  these  roads, 
but  he  did  not  build  them,  as  some  pretend.'  These  great 
artificial  highways  were  broken  up  and  made  useless  at  the 
time  of  the  Conquest,  and  the  subsequent  barbarous  rule  of 
the  Spaniards  allowed  them  to  go  to  decay.  Now  only  broken 
remains  of  them  exist  to  show  their  former  character." — 
Ancient  America,  pp.  243-246.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p.  617.) 

Nadaillac  says:  "The  accounts  of  Spanish  historians  leave 
no  doubt  of  the  existence  of  roads,  made  for  the  convenience 
of  travelers,  and  above  all  to  give  access  to  the  religious  cen- 
ters. Some  of  them  extended  beyond  the  limits  of  Yucatan, 
and  stretched  into  the  neighboring  kingdoms  of  Guatemala, 
Chiapas,  and  Tobasco.  Some  of  these  roads  were  paved;  such 
were  the  Calzadas  spoken  of  by  Cogolludo  and  Bishop  Landa, 
which  led  to  Chichen-Itza,  Uxmal,  Izamal,  and  to  Tihoo,  the 
ruins  of  which  have  been  used  to  build  the  modern  town  of 
Merida.  These  last  highways  measure  from  between  seven 
and  eight  yards  in  width;  they  are  made  of  blocks  of  stone, 
covered  with  very  well-preserved  mortar  and  a  layer  of  cement 
about  two  inches  thick.  The  rivers  were  spanned  by  bridges 
of  masonry;  Clavijero,  who  traversed  the  whole  of  Mexico 
during  the  last  century,  speaks  of  having  seen  still  standing 
in  many  places,  the  massive  piers  intended  to  support  them." 
— Prehistoric  America,  p.  349. 

Donnelly  says:  "The  American  nations  built  public  works 
as  great  as  or  greater  than  any  known  in  Europe.  The  Peruvi- 
ans had  public  roads,  one  thousand  five  hundred  to  two  thou- 
sand miles  long,  made  so  thoroughly  as  to  elicit  the  astonish- 
ment of  the  Spaniards.  At  every  few  miles  taverns  or  hotels 


40  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

were  established  for  the  accommodation  of  travelers.  Hum- 
boldt  pronounced  these  Peruvian  roads  'among  the  most  useful 
and  stupendous  works  ever  executed  by  man.'  They  built  aque- 
ducts for  purposes  of  irrigation,  some  of  which  were  five  hun- 
dred miles  long.  They  constructed  magnificent  bridges  of 
stone,  and  had  even  invented  suspension  bridges  thousands  of 
years  before  they  were  introduced  into  Europe.  .  .  .  The 
Peruvians  made  large  use  of  aqueducts,  which  they  built  with 
notable  skill,  using  hewn  stones  and  cement,  and  making 
them  very  substantial.  One  extended  four  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  across  sierras  and  over  rivers.  Think  of  a  stone 
aqueduct  reaching  from  the  City  of  New  York  to  the  State  of 
North  Carolina!  The  public  roads  of  the  Peruvians  were 
most  remarkable;  they  were  built  on  masonry.  One  of  these 
roads  ran  along  the  mountains  through  the  whole  length  of 
the  empire,  from  Quito  to  Chili;  another,  starting  from  this 
at  Cuzco,  went  down  to  the  coast,  and  extended  northward  to 
the  Equator.  These  roads  were  from  twenty  to  twenty-five 
feet  wide,  were  macadamized  with  pulverized  stone  mixed 
with  lime  and  bituminous  cement,  and  were  walled  in  by 
strong  walls  'more  than  a  fathom  in  thickness.'  In  many 
places  these  roads  were  cut  for  leagues  through  the  rock; 
great  ravines  were  filled  up  with  solid  masonry;  rivers  were 
crossed  by  suspension  bridges,  used  here  ages  before  their 
introduction  into  Europe." — Atlantis,  pp.  141,  393,  394. 

William  H.  Prescott  says:  "One  of  these  roads  passed  over 
the  grand  plateau,  and  the  other  along  the  lowlands  on  the 
borders  of  the  ocean.  The  former  was  much  the  more  difficult 
achievement,  from  the  character  of  the  country.  It  was  con- 
ducted over  pathless  sierras  buried  in  snow;  galleries  were 
cut  for  leagues  through  the  living  rock;  rivers  were  crossed 
by  means  of  bridges  that  swung  suspended  in  the  air;  preci- 
pices were  scaled  by  stairways  hewn  out  of  the  native  bed; 
ravines  of  hideous  depth  were  filled  up  with  solid  masonry; 
in  short,  all  the  difficulties  that  beset  a  wild  and  mountainous 
region,  and  which  might  appall  the  most  courageous  engineer 
of  modern  times,  were  encountered  and  successfully  overcome. 
The  length  of  the  road,  of  which  scattered  fragments  only 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOO*K  41 

remain,  is  variously  estimated,  from  fifteen  hundred  to  two 
thousand  miles;  and  stone  pillars,  in  the  manner  of  European 
mile  stones,  were  erected  at  stated  intervals  of  somewhat 
more  than  a  league,  all  along  the  route. 

"Its  breadth  scarcely  exceeded  twenty  feet.  It  was  built  of 
heavy  flags  of  free  stone,  and  in  some  parts,  at  least,  covered 
with  a  bituminous  cement,  which  time  has  made  harder  than 
the  stone  itself.  In  some  places,  where  the  ravines  had  been 
filled  up  with  masonry,  the  mountain  torrents,  wearing  on  it 
for  ages,  have  gradually  eaten  a  way  through  the  base,  and 
left  the  superincumbent  mass — such  is  the  cohesion  of  the 
materials — still  spanning  the  valley  like  an  arch!  Over  some 
of  the  boldest  streams  it  was  necessary  to  construct  suspen- 
sion bridges,  as  they  are  termed,  made  of  the  tough  fibers  of 
the  maguey,  or  of  the  osier  of  the  country,  which  has  an 
extraordinary  degree  of  tenacity  and  strength.  These  osiers 
were  woven  into  cables  of  the  thickness  of  a  man's  body.  The 
huge  ropes,  then  stretched  across  the  water,  were  conducted 
through  rings  or  holes  cut  in  immense  buttresses  of  stone 
raised  on  the  opposite  banks  of  the  river,  and  there  secured 
to  heavy  pieces  of  timber.  Several  of  these  enormous  cables, 
bound  together,  formed  a  bridge,  which,  covered  with  planks, 
well  secured  and  defended  by  a  railing  of  the  same  osier  ma- 
terials on  the  sides,  afforded  a  safe  passage  for  the  traveler. 
The  length  of  this  aerial  bridge,  sometimes  exceeding  two 
hundred  feet,  caused  it,  confined,  as  it  was,  only  at  the  ex- 
tremities, to  dip  with  an  alarming  inclination  towards  the 
center." — Conquest  of  Peru,  vol.  1,  pp.  84-86.  Edition  of  1893. 

ABORIGINES    OF    AMERICA    WERE    WARRIORS. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "Another  class  of  these  antiquities 
consists  of  inclosures  formed  by  heavy  embankments  of  earth 
and  stone.  ...  In  some  cases  the  ditches  or  fosses  were  on 
the  inside,  in  others  on  the  outside.  .  .  .  'Lines  of  embank- 
ment varying  from  five  to  thirty  feet  in  height,  and  inclosing 
from  one  to  fifty  acres,  are  very  common,  while  inclosures 
containing  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  acres  are  not 
infrequent,  and  occasional  works  are  found  inclosing  as  many 


42  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

as  four  hundred  acres.'  .  .  .  About  one  hundred  inclosures  and 
five  hundred  mounds  have  been  examined  in  Ross  County, 
Ohio.  The  number  of  mounds  in  the  whole  State  is  estimated 
at  over  ten  thousand,  and  the  number  of  inclosures  at  more 
than  one  thousand  and  five  hundred.  .  .  .  They  are  more 
numerous  in  the  regions  on  the  lower  Mississippi  and  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  than  anywhere  else;  and  here,  in  some  cases, 
sun-dried  brick  was  used  in  the  embankments.  .  .  .  Harrison 
Mound,  in  South  Carolina,  is  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
in  circumference  and  fifteen  feet  high.  Another  is  described 
as  five  hundred  feet  in  circumference  at  the  base,  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty -five  feet  at  the  summit,  and  thirty-four  feet 
high.  ...  At  Seltzertown,  Mississippi,  there  is  a  mound  six 
hundred  feet  long,  four  hundred  feet  wide,  and  forty  feet 
high.  The  area  of  its  level  summit  measures  four  acres. 
There  was  a  ditch  around  it,  and  near  it  are  smaller  mounds. 
.  .  .  'The  north  side  of  this  mound  is  supported  by  a  wall  of 
sun-dried  brick  two  feet  thick,  filled  with  grass,  rushes,  and 
leaves.'  ...  In  the  Southern  States  these  works  appear  to 
assume  a  closer  resemblance  to  the  mound  work  of  Central 
America."— Ancient  America,  pp.  19,  20,  23,  24,  27.  (Book 
of  Mormon,  p.  689.) 

QUADRUPEDS  WERE   NATIVES   OF  AMERICA. 

Prof.  August  LePlongeon,  M.  D.,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
January  8,  1889,  said:  "I  informed  him  [Reverend  Mr. 
Lamb]  that  seventeen  species  of  fossil  horses  had  been  dis- 
covered in  America.  That  the  buffaloes  were  cattle,  that  the 
mountain  sheep  still  lived  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  that 
peccaries  or  wild  pigs  roamed  yet  in  large  numbers  in  the 
forests  of  Central  America." — Autumn  Leaves.  (Book  of 
Mormon,  p.  63.) 

Prof.  A.  Winchell  says:  "It  is  a  curious  fact  that  so  many 
generi  now  extinct  from  the  continent,  but  living  in  other 
quarters  of  the  globe,  were  once  abundant  on  the  plains  of 
North  America.  Various  species  of  the  horse  have  dwelt  here 
for  ages.  .  .  .  Here,  too,  the  camel  found  a  suitable  home." — 
Sketches  of  Creation,  p.  210.  Edition  of  1875. 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  43 

Donnelly  says:  "Recent  discoveries  in  the  fossil  beds  of 
the  bad  lands  of  Nebraska  prove  that  the  horse  originated  in 
America.  .  .  .  Fossil  remains  of  the  camel  are  found  in  India, 
Africa,  South  America,  and  in  Kansas." — Atlantis,  pp.  54,  55. 

Again:  "We  find  in  America  numerous  representations  of 
the  elephant."— Ibid.,  p.  8,  95,  737. 

Desire  Charnay  says:  "Found  in  the  ruins  of  Tula  the 
bones  of  swine,  sheep,  oxen,  and  horses  in  fossil  state,  indi- 
cating an  immense  antiquity." — Ibid.,  p.  350.  (Book  of  Mor- 
mon, pp.  537,  617.) 

Extract  from  a  letter  of  Augustus  Le  Plongeon,  to  Elder 
S.  F.  Walker,  January  8,  1889 :  "Your  favor  of  December  28 
came  to  hand  three  days  ago.  .  .  .  This  calls  to  my  mind  the 
visit  of  a  certain  Reverend  Mr.  Lamb,  who  introduced  himself 
to  me  by  stating  that  he  resided  at  Salt  Lake  City,  and  was 
there  combating  the  Mormon  doctrine  and  showing  that  their 
pretended  revelations  were  all  humbug. 

"He  presented  me  with  a  book  published  by  him  in  which 
he  pretended  to  show  many  absurdities  contained  in  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  He  finished  by  telling  me  that  he  had  called 
upon  me  in  order  to  obtain  my  opinion  on  what  is  said  in  the 
book  relative  to  the  animals  such  as  the  horse,  the  pig,  the 
cattle,  and  sheep  that  lived  anciently  on  the  Western  Conti- 
nent, which,  he  contended,  proves  that  the  whole  book  is  an 
absurd  fabrication ;  and  hoped  that  I  would  help  him  with  my 
knowledge  in  showing  it  to  be  such. 

"The  man  evidently  either  had  been  misinformed  concern- 
ing me,  or  had  not  taken  the  trouble  to  inquire.  When  he 
ceased  speaking,  I  asked  him  if  he  was  a  Christian,  to  which 
he  emphatically  answered,  Yes!  And  I  as  emphatically  re- 
plied, No!  because  he  did  not  follow  the  doctrine  of  Jesus — 
'Do  not  do  to  others  what  you  do  not  wish  others  to  do  to 
you.'  I  informed  him  that  I  did  not  care  a  straw  if  the  Book 
of  Mormon  was  a  revelation  or  a  fabrication.  That  I  con- 
sidered every  man  had  an  absolute  right  to  worship  Deity 
as  best  he  thought.  That  on  the  other  hand  I  could  not  join 
him  in  disproving  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  the  part  in  which 
the  animals  mentioned  are  said  to  have  lived  on  the  American 


44  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

Continent,  because  I  was  not  in  the  habit  of  making  a  fool 
of  myself  if  I  could  help  it. 

"Then  I  informed  him  that  seventeen  species  of  fossil 
horses  had  been  discovered  in  America,  that  the  buifaloes  were 
cattle,  that  the  mountain  sheep  lived  in  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  that  peccaries  or  wild  pigs  roamed  yet  in  large  numbers 
in  the  forests  of  Central  America. 

"AUGUSTUS  LE  PLONGEON." 

"The. above  extract  was  taken  from  a  letter  written  to  my 
husband,  by  Mr.  Le  Plongeon. 

"MRS.  M.  WALKER." 

"LAMONI,  IOWA." 

ELEPHANTS   USED    IN    AMERICA. 

Milwaukee  Free  Press,  for  September  5,  1903,  says:  "Most 
remarkable  of  the  minor  finds  made  at  Paradon  is  that  of  the 
remains  of  elephants.  Never  before  in  the  history  of  Mexico 
has  it  been  ascertained  positively  that  elephants  were  ever  in 
the  service  of  the  inhabitants.  The  remains  of  the  elephants 
show  plainly  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  buried  cities  made 
elephants  work  for  them.  Elephants  were  as  much  in  evi- 
dence in  the  streets  of  the  cities  as  horses.  Upon  many  of  the 
tusks  that  have  been  found  were  rings  of  silver.  Most  of  the 
tusks  have  an  average  length,  for  grown  elephants,  of  three 
feet,  and  an  average  diameter  at  the  roots  of  six  inches.  .  .  . 
The  flood  which  destroyed  the  ancient  cities  did  not  have  any 
connection  whatever  with  the  deluge,  as  far  as  can  be  learned 
by  scientific  investigations."  (Book  of  Mormon,  p.  737.) 

The  foregoing  from  the  Free  Press  was  furnished  me  by 
Elder  J.  W.  Peterson. 

ANCIENT  AMERICANS  WERE  FARMERS  AND 
MANUFACTURERS. 

Chicago  Record,  September  27,  1897:  "Dempsy  Waggy,  a 
farmer  residing  in  Madison  County,  Indiana,  probably  has 
the  most  interesting  field  of  corn  in  the  State.  Two  years  ago 
Waggy  and  Doctor  Cullen,  a  neighbor,  were  hunting  in  Ar- 
kansas. They  were  staying  in  a  small  village  named  Marked 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  45 

Tree.  .  .  .  During  their  stay  some  northern  scientists  visited 
the  mounds  and  began  explorations,  finding  many  trinkets. 
.  .  .  Both  jars  were  air-tight,  and  when  opened  were  found 
to  contain  corn.  It  was  bright,  yellow,  solid,  and  dry  as 
though  it  had  just  been  shelled.  The  explorers  took  these 
vessels,  but  gave  Waggy  a  handful  of  the  corn. 

"He  wrapped  it  up  in  a  handkerchief  and  threw  it  into  his 
traveling  chest.  There  it  lay  for  two  years.  .  .  .  Waggy 
came  across  the  seeds  last  spring  and  planted  them  in  his 
garden.  He  was  surprised  when  tiny  blades  shot  up  through 
the  ground."  (Furnished  by  Elder  J.  W.  Peterson.) 

Prescott  says:  "These  magazines  were  found  by  the  Span- 
iards, on  their  arrival,  stored  with  all  the  various  products 
and  manufactures  of  the  country, — with  maize,  cocoa,  quinna, 
woolen. and  cotton  stuff  of  the  finest  quality,  with  vases  and 
utensils  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper." — Conquest  of  Peru,  vol. 
1,  p.  81. 

Donnelly  says:  "Traces  of  cloth  with  'doubled  and  twisted 
fiber'  have  been  found  in  the  mounds;  also  matting;  also  shut- 
tle like  tablets,  used  in  weaving." — Atlantis,  p.  380. 

Weekly  Inter-Ocean,  December  23,  1890:  "A  musical  in- 
strument found  some  three  miles  from  the  village  of  Mendon, 
twenty  miles  from  Quincy,  Illinois.  The  wood  of  it  having 
decayed  but  the  copper  which  seems  to  have  constituted  the 
sounding-board  and  keys,  still  remaining  in  good  condition. 
It  was  made  entirely  of  copper,  rivets  of  copper,  a  broad 
sheet  of  copper,  copper  pegs,  and  copper  keys.  The  instru- 
ment seemed  to  have  been  a  combination  of  a  harp  and  of  a 
violin.  The  shape  is  three-cornered,  like  a  harp,  but  the 
strings  were  stretched  across  a  bridge  and  fastened  to  the 
keyboard  at  either  end  as  in  a  violin.  There  is  no  instru- 
ment like  it  in  modern  use.  The  mysterious  part  of  the  whole 
relic  is  that  there  are  ten  hieroglyphic  characters  cut  into 
the  copper  sounding-board  close  by  the  pegs.  These  hiero- 
glyphics are  unlike  any  musical  signs  known  in  modern  times. 
They  resemble  the  hieroglyphics  which  were  found  on  the 
Davenport  tablets.  Also  the  Grave  Creek  tablet." 

Donnelly  says:      "There  have  also  been   found   numerous 


46  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

musical  pipes,  with  mouthpieces  and  stops;  lovers'  pipes  curi- 
ously and  delicately  carved,  reminding  us  of  Bryant's  lines."- 
Atlantis,  p.  380. 

Donnelly  says:  "The  cultivation  of  the  cotton  plant  and 
the  manufacture  of  its  products  was  known  to  both  the  Old 
and  New  World.  Herodotus  describes  it  (450  B.  c.)  as  the 
tree  of  India  that  bears  a  fleece  more  beautiful  than  that  of 
the  sheep.  Columbus  found  the  natives  of  the  West  Indies 
using  cotton  cloth.  It  was  also  found  in  Mexico  and  Peru. 
It  is  a  significant  fact  that  the  cotton  .plant  has  been  found 
growing  wild  in  many  parts  of  America,  but  never  in  the 
Old  World."— Atlantis,  pp.  59,  60. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "Fragments  of  charred  cloth  made  of 
spun  fibers  have  been  found  in  the  mounds.  A  specimen  of 
such  cloth,  taken  from  a  mound  in  Butler  County,  Ohio,  is 
in  Blackmore  Museum,  Salisbury." — Ancient  America,  p.  41. 

Montezuma  said:  "Gold  and  native  fabrics  of  the  most 
delicate  character,  shields,  helmets,  cuirasses,  collars,  brace- 
lets, sandals,  fans,  pearls,  precious  stones,  loads  of  cotton 
cloth,  extraordinary  manufactures  of  feathers,  circular  plates 
of  gold  and  silver  as  large  as  carriage  wheels." — Mexico,  New 
Mexico,  and  California,  vol.  1,  p.  26.  (Book  of  Mormon, 
p.  737.) 

COMPASS  WAS   USED   BY   THE   ABORIGINES  OF 
AMERICA. 

Donnelly  says:  "In  A.  D.  868  it  was  employed  by  the 
Northmen."  (The  Landnamabok,  vol.  1,  chap.  2.)  An  Italian 
poem  of  A.  D.  1190  refers  to  it  as  in  use  among  the  Italian 
sailors  at  that  date.  In  the  ancient  language  of  the  Hindoos, 
the  Sanscrit — which  has  been  a  dead  language  for  twenty-two 
hundred  years — the  magnet  was  called  'the  precious  stone  be- 
loved of  iron.'  The  Talmud  speaks  of  it  as  'the  stone  of  attrac- 
tion; and  it  is  alluded  to  in  the  early  Hebrew  prayers  as  'Kala- 
mitah,'  the  same  name  given  it  by  the  Greeks,  from  the  reed 
upon  which  the  compass  floated.  ...  In  the  year  2700  B.  c. 
the  Emperor  (of  China)  Wangti  placed  a  magnetic  figure 
with  an  extended  arm,  like  the  Astarte  of  the  Phoenecians, 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  47 

on  the  front  of  carriages,  the  arm  always  turning  and  point- 
ing to  the  south,  which  the  Chinese  regarded  as  the  principal 
pole. "_Atlantis,  pp.  440-442. 

"Chinese  invented  the  mariners  compass  eleven  centuries 
before  Christ."— See  Light  in  Darkness,  by  J.  E.  and  A.  H. 
Godbey,  p.  289. 

"Earliest  references  to  the  use  of  the  compass  are  to  be 
found  in  Chinese  history,  from  which  we  learn  how,  in  the 
sixty-fourth  year  of  the  reign  of  Ho-ang-ti  (2634  B.  c.) 
the  Emperor  Hiuan-yuah,  or  Ho-ang-ti,  attacked  one  Tchi- 
yeou,  on  the  plains  of  Tchou-lou,  and  finding  his  army  embar- 
rassed by  a  thick  fog  raised  by  the  enemy,  constructed  a 
chariot  (Tchinan)  for  indicating  the  south,  so  as  to  distin- 
guish the  four  cardinal  points,  and  was  thus  enabled  to  pursue 
Tchi-yeou,  and  take  him  prisoner." — Encyclopaedia  Britannica, 
vol.  6,  p.  226. 

Chambers'  Encyclopedia:  "It  appears,  however,  on  very 
good  authority,  that  it  [compass]  was  known  in  China,  and 
throughout  the  east  generally,  at  a  very  remote  period." — 
Vol.  2,  p.  546.  (Book  of  Mormon,  p.  63.) 

ABORIGINES  OF  AMERICA  CAME  IN  VESSELS. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "According  to  the  old  traditions  of 
both  Mexico  and  Peru,  the  Pacific  coast  in  both  countries  was 
anciently  visited  by  a  foreign  people  who  came  in  ships." — 
Ancient  America,  p.  170. 

Josephus  says:  "God  also  commanded  them  to  send  colo- 
nies abroad,  for  the  thorough  peopling  of  the  earth." — Antiq- 
uities of  the  Jews,  book  1,  chap.  4,  p.  35. 

Again:  "After  this  they  were  dispersed  abroad,  on  ac- 
count of  their  languages,  and  went  out  by  colonies  everywhere 
[America  would  come  under  this — 'everywhere']  and  each 
colony  took  possession  of  that  land  which  they  light  upon, 
and  unto  which  God  led  them;  so  that  the  whole  continent 
was  filled  with  them,  both  the  inland  and  maritime  countries. 
There  were  some  also  who  passed  over  the  sea  in  ships,  and 
inhabited  the  islands." — Ibid.,  chap.  5,  p.  36. 

Desire  Charnay  says:     "Veytia,  like  all  historians  of  that 


48  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

time,  places  the  primitive  home  of  the  Toltecs  in  Asia,  to 
make  his  account  agree  with  Genesis,  where  it  is  said  that 
after  the  destruction  of  the  Babylonian  Tower,  'the  Lord 
scattered  the  sons  of  men  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth.'  Ac- 
cording to  him,  they  crossed  Tartary  and  entered  America 
through  the  Behring  Straits,  by  means  of  large  flat  canoes, 
and  square  raits  made  of  wood  and  reeds;  the  former  are 
described,  and  called  acalli,  'ivater-houses'  in  their  manu- 
scripts."—Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World,  p.  79.  (Book  of 
Mormon,  p.  716.) 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "Pizarro  went  down  the  coast, 
landing  from  time  to  time  to  explore  and  rob  villages,  until  he 
reached  about  the  fourth  degree  of  north  latitude,  when  he 
was  obliged  to  return  for  supplies  and  repairs.  ...  On  the 
next  voyage,  one  of  the  vessels  went  half  a  degree  south  of 
the  Equator,  and  encountered  a  vessel  'like  a  European  cara- 
vel,' which  was,  in  fact,  a  Peruvian  balsa,  loaded  with 
merchandise,  vases,  mirrors  of  burnished  silver,  and  curious 
fabrics  of  cotton  and  woolen." — Ancient  America,  p.  225. 

CURRENTS  IN  THE  OCEAN. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says:  "There  have  been  a  great  many  in- 
stances of  Japanese  junks  drifting  upon  the  American  coast, 
many  of  them  after  having  floated  helplessly  about  for  many 
months.  Mr.  Brooks  gives  forty-one  particular  instances  of 
such  wrecks.  ...  A  drifting  wreck  would  be  carried  towards 
the  American  coast  at  an  average  rate  of  ten  miles  a  day  by 
this  current." — Native  Races  of  the  Pacific  States,  vol.  5,  pp. 
52,  53. 

"Lieutenant  Maury's  theory  of  the  trade  winds,  which  he 
demonstrated  and  published  in  1856  or  1857.  .  .  .  Illustration 
of  the  great  rivers  of  the  sea  (as  they  are  called)  you  would 
find  that  east  of  Borneo  one  of  these  currents  sets  across  north 
of  the  Equator,  directly  towards  Central  America.  See  also 
Johnson's  Encyclopedia,  vol.  2,  p.  341." — Quoted  from  Book 
of  Mormon  Lectures,  by  Elder  H.  A.  Stebbins,  p.  22. 

Bancroft  says:  "Noah's  Ark,  says  Ullao,  gave  rise  to  a 
number  of  such  constructions;  and  the  experience  gained  dur- 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  49 

ing  the  patriarch's  aimless  voyage,  emboldened  his  descend- 
ants to  seek  strange  lands  in  the  same  manner.  Driven  to 
America  and  the  neighboring  islands  by  winds  and  currents." 
— Native  Races  of  the  Pacific  States,  vol.  5,  p.  10.  (Book  of 
Mormon,  p.  727.) 

A  HOLE  IN  THE  TOP  AND  IN  THE  BOTTOM. 

"The  little  steamer  Norton,  which  is  to  sail  from  Long 
Island  Sound  for  Southern  France,  ...  is  claimed  by  her 
builder  and  captain,  a  craft  that  can  not  sink.  .  .  .  Water 
is  admitted  through  holes  in  the  outer  bottom.  When  the 
boat  careens,  the  body  of  water  between  the  bottoms  presses 
the  air  in  the  compartments,  and  acts  as  a  ballast,  the 
air  serving  as  a  cushion.  This  prevents  the  boat  from  cap- 
sizing or  from  diverging  far  from  its  center,  even  in  the 
roughest  sea." — Philadelphia  Record,  1890. 

Donnelly  says:  "They  came  from  the  East  in  ships  or 
barks  to  the  land  of  Potonchan  (America),  which  they  com- 
menced to  populate." — Atlantis,  p.  167. 

John  T.  Short  says:  "That  all  the  natives  came  from  seven 
caves,  and  that  these  seven  caves  are  the  seven  ships  or 
galleys  in  which  the  first  populators  of  the  land  came." — North 
Americans  of  Antiquities,  p.  242.  Sdition  of  1880.  (Book  of 
Mormon,  p.  718.) 

ANCIENT  AMERICANS  WORSHIP  GOD  THE  FATHER 
AND   JESUS    CHRIST    THE    SON. 

Prescott  says:  "The  Peruvians,  like  so  many  of  the  other 
Indian  races,  acknowledge  a  Supreme  Being,  the  creator  and 
ruler  of  the  universe,  whom  they  adored." — Conquest  of  Peru, 
vol.  1,  p.  108. 

Donnelly  says:  "On  the  western  wall  (of  the  Cuzco  temple) 
was  emblazoned  a  representation  of  the  Deity." — Atlantis, 
p.  22. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says  in  regard  to  their  belief  of  the  creation : 
"That  man  was  created  in  the  image  of  God.  .  .  .  The  character 


50 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 


and  history  of  Christ,  and  Huitzilopochtli,  present  certain 
analogies.'' — Native  Races,  vol.  5,  pp.  85  and  86. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "The  cross  is  one  of  the  most  common 
emblems  present  in  all  the  ruins.  This  led  the  Catholic 
missionaries  to  assume  that  knowledge  of  Christianity  had 
been  brought  to  that  part  of  America  long  before  their  arrival; 
and  they  adopted  the  belief  that  the  gospel  was  preached  there 
by  Saint  Thomas." — Ancient  America,  p.  109. 

Donnelly  says :  "When  the  -Spanish  missionaries  first  set 
foot  upon  the  soil  of  America,  in  the  fifteenth  century,  they 
were  amazed  to  find  the  cross  was  as  devoutly  worshiped 
by  the  red  Indians  as  by  themselves,  and  were  in  doubt 
whether  to  ascribe  the  fact  to  the  pious  labors  of  Saint 
Thomas  or  to  the  cunning  devices  of  the  Evil  One.  The  hal- 
lowed symbol  challenged  their  attention  on  every  hand." — 
Atlantis  pp.  319,  320. 


Cross  from  monuments 
of  Palenque. 


Cross  from  Central  Cross  from  monuments 

America.  of  Egypt. 

—Atlantis,  pp.  319,  320,  322: 


Josiah  Priest  says:  "On  the  breast  of  this  person  lay 
what  had  been  a  piece  of  copper  in  the  form  of  a  cross.  .  .  . 
The  cross  on  the  breast  of  this  skeleton,  excites  the  most 
surprise,  as  the  cross  is  the  emblem  of  the  Christian  religion." 
— American  Antiquities,  p.  180.  Edition  of  1833. 

H.  H.  Bancroft  says:  "In  a  tablet  on  the  wall  of  a  room 
at  Palenque  is  a  cross  surmounted  by  a  bird.  .  .  .  One  of 
the  most  remarkable  emblems  of  Maya  worship  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  conquerors,  was  the  cross,  which  has  also  been 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  51 

noticed  in  other  parts  of  Central  America  and  in  Mexico." — 
Native  Races,  vol.  3,  pp.  135,  467,  468. 

Desire  Charnay  says:  "Since  the  cross  was  a  symbol  of 
Tlaloc,  the  temple  in  which  it  stood  must  have  been  dedicated 
to  him,  and  perhaps  Quetzalcoatl  also,  ...  in  our  cut  of  the 
temple  of  the  cross." — Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World,  pp. 
214,  252. 

"New  Spain,  as  Talonaca,  they  expected  the  second  coming 
of  the  Son  of  God  into  the  world." — Mexican  Antiquities,  vol. 
6,  p.  413. 

"Aztec,  God  of  war,  was  said  to  have  been  born  of  a  holy 
virgin." — Panorama  of  Nations,  p.  413. 

"Torquemanda,  says  the  Bishop  of  Chiapa,  when  he  passed 
through  Yucatan,  sent  his  ecclesiastic  to  the  interior  of  the 
country,  who  at  the  end  of  a  year  wrote  to  him  that  he  had 
questioned  a  principal  lord  about  the  ancient  religion,  who 
informed  him  that  they  knew  and  believed  in  God,  who  resided 
in  heaven ;  and  that  their  God  was  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost;  that  the  Son  was  called  Bacab,  who  was  born  of  a 
virgin  named  Chibirias,  who  was  in  heaven  with  God,  and 
that  the  name  of  the  mother  of  Chibirias  was  Oschil;  and  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  was  called  Echuah.  Bacab,  the  Son,  he  said, 
was  put  to  death  by  Eopuco,  who  scourged  him  and  put  a 
crown  of  thorns  upon  his  head,  and  placed  him  with  his 
arms  stretched  upon  a  beam  of  wood,  to  which  they  believed 
he  had  not  been  nailed,  but  tied,  and  that  he  died  there,  and 
remained  during  three  days  dead,  and  the  third  day  came 
to  life  and  ascended  to  heaven,  where  he  is  with  the  Father; 
and  immediately  afterward  Echuah  coming,  who  is  the  Holy 
Ghost,  filled  the  ^arth  with  whatever  it  stood  in  need  of." — 
Mexican  Antiquities,  vol.  6,  p.  141. 

De  Salcar  says:  "The  chiefs  and  men  of  rank  in  the 
province  of  Chiapa  were  acquainted  with  the  doctrine  of 
the  most  Holy  Trinity.  They  called  the  Father  Icona,  the 
Son  Bacab,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  Estruach,  and  certainly  these 
names  resemble  the  Hebrew,  especially  Estruach,  .  .  .  the 
tradition  current  in  Yucatan  of  Bacab  and  his  crucifixion,  .  .  . 
so  in  these  Mexican  paintings  many  analogies  may  be  traced 
between  the  events  to  which  they  evidently  relate  and  the 


52  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

history  of  the  crucifixion  of  Christ  as  contained  in  the  New 
Testament.  ...  In  the  fourth  page  of  the  Borgian  manuscript, 
he  seems  to  be  crucified  between  two  persons  who  are  in  the 
act  of  reviling  him,  who  hold  as  would  appear  halters  in  their 
hands,  the  symbols  perhaps  of  some  crime  for  which  they  were 
themselves  going  to  suffer." — Ibid.,  p.  166. 

"It  deserves  to  be  remarked,  that  both  of  the  hands  of  the 
figure  seemed  to  be  pierced  with  nails,  the  heads  of  which 
are  invisible.  The  tradition  current  in  Yucatan  that  Eopuco 
crowned  Bacab  with  thorns  appears  also  to  be  preserved  in 
its  headdress.  A  crown  of  thorns  of  another  fashion  may 
perhaps  be  recognized  on  the  head  of  another  piece  of  ancient 
sculpture  discovered  by  Mons.  Dupaix.  .  .  .  The  crown  seems 
to  be  formed  out  of  the  thorny  leaves  of  the  aloe." — Ibid., 
vol.  7,  p.  169.  (Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  143,  631.) 

THEY   HAD   SACRED   WRITINGS. 

Diego  de  Mercado  says  he  conversed  with  an  aged  Otomie 
Indian  who  said,  "They  in  ancient  times  had  been  in  posses- 
sion of  a  book,  which  had  been  handed  down  successively 
from  father  to  son,  who  was  dedicated  to  the  safe  custody 
of  it,  and  to  instruct  others  in  its  doctrines." — Mexican  An- 
tiquities, vol.  6,  p.  409. 

Doctor  West,  of  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts,  relates  that 
an  old  Indian  informed  him,  "That  his  fathers  in  this  country, 
had,  not  long  since,  been  in  the  possession  of  a  book,  which 
they  had,  for  a  long  time,  carried  with  them,  but  having  lost 
the  knowledge  of  reading  it,  they  buried  it  with  an  Indian 
chief."— American  Antiquities,  p.  69.  Edition  of  1833. 

"Among  the  vast  multitude  of  painted  representations  found 
by  this  author,  [Baron  Humboldt]  on  the  books  of  the  natives, 
made  also  frequently  of  prepared  skins  of  animals,  were  de- 
lineated all  the  leading  circumstances  and  history  of  the 
deluge,  of  the  fall  of  man,  and  of  the  seduction  of  the 
woman  by  the  means, of  the  serpent,  the  first  murder  as  per- 
petrated by  Cain,  on  the  person  of  his  brother  Abel." — Ibid., 
p.  200. 

Bancroft  says:     "In  its  pages  were  described  the  Nahua 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  53 

annals  from  the  time  of  the  deluge,  or  even  from  the  creation, 
together  with  all  their  religious  rites,  governmental  system, 
laws  and  social  customs;  ...  to  the  divine  book  was  added 
a  chapter  of  prophecies  respecting  future  events  and  the 
signs  by  which  it  should  be  known  when  the  time  of  their 
fulfillment  was  drawing  near." — Native  Races,  vol.  5,  pp. 
251,  252. 

Ellen  Russell  Emerson  says:  "The  Ujibway  Indians,  relates 
'Mr.  Copway,'  had  three  depositories  for  sacred  records  near 
the  waters  of  Lake  Superior.  Ten  of  the  wisest  and  most 
venerable  men  of  the  nation  dwelt  near  these,  and  were 
appointed  guardians  of  them." — Indian  Myths,  pp.  225,  226. 

"The  materials  generally  used  by  the  ancients  for  their 
books  were  liable  to  be  easily  destroyed  by  the  damp,  when 
hidden  in  the  earth;  and  in  times  of  war,  devastation,  and 
rapacity,  it  was  necesary  to  bury  in  the  earth  whatever  they 
wished  to  preserve  from  the  attacks  of  fraud 'and  violence. 
With  this  view,  Jeremiah  ordered  the  writings  which  he 
delivered  to  Baruch  to  be  put  in  an  earthen  vessel.  (Jere- 
miah 32.)  In  the  same  manner  the  ancient  Egyptians  made 
use  of  earthen  urns  or  pots  of  a  proper  shape  for  containing 
whatever  they  wanted  to  inter  in  the  earth,  and  which  without 
such  care  would  have  been  soon  destroyed.  We  need  not 
wonder,  then,  that  the  prophet  Jeremiah  should  think  it 
necessary  to  inclose  those  writings  in  an  earthen  pot  which 
were  to  be  buried  in  Judea,  in  some  place  where  they  might 
be  found  without  much  difficulty  on  the  return  of  the  Jews 
from  captivity." — Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge,  p. 
255. 

S.  G.  Goodrich  says:  "Montezuma  was  sovereign  of  the 
empire  of  Mexico  when  the  Spaniards  landed  there.  The 
monarch  was  soon  informed  of  the  arrival  of  these  strangers. 
Throughout  the  vast  extent  of  his  kingdom  carriers  were 
placed  at  different  distances  who  speedily  acquainted  the 
court  with  everything  that  happened.  In  the  most  distant 
provinces,  their  dispatches  were  composed  of  pieces  of  cotton 
upon  which  were  represented  in  pictures  the  several  circum- 
stances of  the  affairs  that  required  the  attention  of  the  gov- 


54  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

ernment.  The  figures,  or  pictures,  were  intermixed  with 
hieroglyphic  characters  which  supplied  what  the  art  of  the 
painter  had  not  been  able  to  express.  It  was  to  be  expected 
that  a  prince  who  had  been  raised  to  the  throne  by  his  valor, 
who  had  extended  his  empire  by  conquest;  who  was  in  pos- 
session of  numerous  and  disciplined  armies,  would  have  dis- 
patched troops  immediately  to  disperse  a  handful  of  strangers 
who  dared  to  infest  and  plunder  his  domains.  But  this  step 
was  neglected.  ..  .  .  The  writers  of  this  superstitious  nation 
have  not  scrupled  to  declare  to  the  whole  world  that  a  short 
time  before  the  discovery  of  the  New  World  it  had  been 
foretold  to  the  Mexicans  that  an  invincible  people  from  the 
East  would  soon  come  among  them  who  would  in  a  terrible 
manner  avenge  the  gods  irritated  by  their  horrid  crimes." — 
Pictorial  History  of  America,  pp.  69,  70. 

Again  he  says  in  relating  the  kind  of  material  they  used 
for  writing  upon:  "It  much  resembles  the  Egyptian  paper 
manufactured  from  the  papyrus.  It  was  made  from  the  agave 
...  or  aloes.  Some  of  the  hieroglyphics  now  extant  are  painted 
on  deerskins.  .  .  .  Immense  quantities  of  Mexican  manuscripts 
were  burnt  by  the  Spaniards." — Ibid.,  p.  29.  Edition  of  1850. 
(Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  35,  37,  149.) 

AMERICANS  WROTE  HISTORICAL  BOOKS. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "It  is  known  that  books  or  manu- 
script writings  were  abundant  among  them  in  the  ages  pre- 
vious to  the  Aztec  period.  They  had  an  accurate  measure  of 
the  solar  year  and  a  system  of  chronology,  and  many  of  their 
writings  were  historical.  .  .  .  Las  Casas  wrote  on  this  point 
as  follows :  'It  should  be  known  that  in  all  the  commonwealth 
of  these  countries,  in  the  kingdoms  of  New  Spain  and  else- 
where, among  other  professions  duly  filled  by  suitable  persons, 
was  that  of  chronicler  and  historian.  .  .  .  These  chroniclers 
had  likewise  to  calculate  the  days,  months,  and  years;  and 
though  they  had  not  writing  like  ours,  they  had  their  symbols 
and  characters  through  which  they  understood  every  thing; 
and  they  had  great  books,  which  were  composed  with  such 
ingenuity  and  art  that  our  characters  were  really  of  no  great 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  55 

assistance  to  them.  Our  priests  have  seen  those  books,  and 
I  myself  have  seen  them  likewise,  though  many  were  burned  at 
the  instigation  of  the  monks,  who  were  afraid  they  might 
impede  the  work  of  conversion.'  Books  such  as  those  here 
described  by  Las  Casas  must  have  contained  important  his- 
torical information." — Ancient  America,  pp.  187,  188. 

Prof.  John  T.  Short  says:  "The  infamous  crime  committed 
against  the  cause  of  knowledge,  and  the  irreparable  injury 
done  to  the  natives,  their  successors,  and  to  the  students  of 
history  for  all  time,  by  the  destruction  of  those  valuable  manu- 
scripts must  ever  remain." — North  Americans  of  Antiquities, 
p.  429. 

Desire  Charnay  says:  •  "Documents  were  not  wanting,  and 
had  the  religious  zeal  of  the  men  of  that  time  been  less  ill- 
judged,  they  would  have  found  in  the  various  and  multiform 
manuscripts,  in  the  charts  or  maps,  in  the  idols,  in  the  pottery 
and  living  traditions,  ample  and  reliable  materials  from  which 
to  write  an  exhaustive  history." — Ancient  Cities,  p.  270. 

J.  D.  Baldwin  says:  "Humboldt  mentions  books  of  hiero- 
glyphical  writing  found  among  the  Panoes,  on  the  River 
Ucayali,  which  were  'bundles  of  their  paper  resembling  our 
volumes  in  quarto.'  A  Franciscan  missionary  found  an  old 
man  sitting  at  the  foot  of  a  palm  tree  and  reading  one  of 
these  books  to  several  young  persons.  The  Franciscan  was 
told  that  the  writing  'contained  hidden  things  which  no 
stranger  ought  to  know.'  It  was  seen  that  the  pages  of  the 
book  were  'covered  with  figures  of  men,  animals,  and  isolated 
characters,  deemed  hieroglyphical,  and  arranged  in  lines  with 
order  and  symmetry.'  The  Panoes  said  these  books  'were 
transmitted  to  them  by  their  ancestors,  and  had  relation  to 
wanderings  and  ancient  wars.'  " — Ancient  America,  pp.  255, 
256.  (Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  16,  98,  157,  167.) 

ANCIENT  AMERICANS  BUILT  HOUSES  OF 
WORSHIP. 

Prescott  says:  "The  most  renowned  of  the  Peruvian  tem- 
ples, the  pride  of  the  capital,  and  the  wonder  of  the  empire, 
was  at  Cuzco,  where  under  the  munificence  of  successive  sov- 


56  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

ereigns  it  had  become  so  enriched  that  it  received  the  name 
of  the  .  .  .  Place  of  Gold.  It  consisted  of  a  principal  building 
and  several  chapels,  and  inferior  edifices,  covering  a  large 
extent  of  ground  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  and  completely  en- 
compased  by  a  wall,  which,  with  the  edifices,  was  all  con- 
structed of  stone.  .  .  .  And  was  so  finely  executed  that  a 
Spaniard,  who  saw  it  in  its  glory,  assures  us  that  he  could 
call  to  mind  only  two  edifices  in  Spain,  which,  for  their  work- 
manship were  at  all  to  be  compared  with  it.  ...  The  interior 
of  the  temple  was  the  most  worthy  of  admiration.  It  was  lit- 
erally a  mine  of  gold.  .  .  .  Other  temples  and  religious  dwell- 
ings were  scattered  over  the  provinces,  and  some  of  them  con- 
structed on  a  scale  of  magnificence,  that  almost  rivaled  that 
of  the  metropolis." — Conquest  of  Peru,  vol.  1,  pp.  112,  116. 
Edition  of  1893. 

Donnelly  says  of  the  Cuzco  temple,  Place  of  Gold:  "The 
interior  of  the  temple  was  literally  a  mine  of  gold.  On  the 
western  wall  was  emblazoned  a  representation  of  the  Deity, 
consisting  of  a  human  countenance,  looking  forth  from  amid 
innumerable  rays  of  light,  which  emanated  from  it  in  every 
direction  in  the  same  manner  as  the  sun  is  often  personified 
with  us.  The  figure  was  engravened  on  a  massive  plate  of 
gold,  of  enormous  dimensions,  thickly  powdered  with  emeralds 
and  precious  stones." — Atlantis,  p.  22. 

"The  half  buried  ruins  of  an  ancient  temple  with  huge  gran- 
ite columns  carved  in  the  shape  of  rattlesnakes  is  the  inter- 
esting discovery  made  by  four  veteran  prospectors,  who 
recently  went  out  upon  the  Colorado  desert  to  search  for 
new  mines.  ...  A  rough  approximation  of  the  extent  of  the 
ruins  showed  the  temple  to  be  about  four  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  wide"— Philadelphia  Record,  July  24,  1893. 

"When  the  Peruvians  of  Cuzco  carried  their  victorious 
arms  across  the  Cordilleras  to  this  district  [possibly  the  land 
of  Zarahemla],  they  beheld  this  temple  [possibly  in  the  city 
of  Zarahemla]  the  doors  of  which  are  said  to  have  been 
of  gold  inlaid  with  precious  stones  with  astonishment,  not 
only  because  it  rivaled  if  not  surpassed  in  splendor  the  famous 
TemDle  of  the  Sun  at  Cuzco,  but  because  it  contained  no 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  57 

image  or  visible  symbol  of  a  god.  It  was  raised  in  honor 
of  an  invisible  and  mysterious  Deity,  whom  the  inhabitants 
called  Pachacamac,  the  creator  of  the  world." — Chambers' 
Encyclopedia,  article  "Peru,"  vol.  6,  p.  193.  Edition  of  1887. 
Milwaukee  Free  Press,  Saturday  morning,  September  5, 
1903:  "Dr.  Nicolas  Leon,  archaeologist  and  ethnologist  of  the 
Mexican  Museum  of  Mexico,  has  returned  to  the  City  of 
Mexico  after  a  stay  of  two  weeks  in  the  State  of  Coahuila; 
where  he  made  several  important  investigations  of  the  recent 
finds  of  cities  and  animals  of  antediluvian  times.  .  .  .  The 
excavations  made  so  far  show  that  a  large  city  was  buried 
not  far  from  the  present  town  of  Paradon  by  an  immense 
amount  of  earth,  which  was  evidently  washed  down  from  the 
mountain  floods.  How  long  ago  the  catastrophe  occurred 
can  not  be  determined.  Portions  of  buildings  so  far  unearthed 
show  that  the  city — at  least  the  largest  of  the  cities  that  were 
covered  by  the  debris  of  the  flood,  there  being  at  least  three 
cities  destroyed — was  very  extensive.  The  indications  are 
that  there  were  many  massive  structures  in  the  city  and 
that  they  were  of  a  class  of  architecture  not  to  be  found 
elsewhere  in  Mexico.  According  to  the  estimates  of  the 
scientists  under  whose  directions  the  excavations  are  being 
made,  the  city  in  question  had  a  population  of  at  least  fifty 
thousand.  The  destruction  wrought  by  the  flood  was  com- 
plete. All  the  inhabitants  of  the  cities  were  killed,  as  well 
as  all  the  animals.  Skeletons  of  the  human  inhabitants  and 
of  the  animals  are  strewn  all  through  the  debris,  from 
a  depth  of  three  feet,  showing  that  all  the  debris  was  deposited 
almost  at  once.  Measurements  show  that  the  debris  is  on 
an  average  of  sixty  feet  deep  where  the  largest  of  the 
cities  stood."  (Book  of  Mormon,  pp.  286,  486,  617,  624,  631, 
682.) 

ABORIGINES  OF  AMERICA  BELIEVE  IN  THE 
RESURRECTION  OF  THE  DEAD. 

Prescott  says:  "Among  the  traditions  of  importance  is 
one  of  the  deluge,  which  they  held  in  common  with  so  many 
of  the  nations  in  all  parts  of  the  globe,  .  .  .  resurrection  of 


58  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

the  body,  which  led  them  to  preserve  the  body  with  so  much 
solicitude." — Conquest  of  Peru,  vol.   1,  pp.   106,   107. 

Donnelly  says:  "Peruvians  believed  in  the  immortality  of 
the  soul  and  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  they  too  pre- 
served the  bodies  of  their  dead  by  embalming  them.  .  .  . 
When  we  consider  it  closely,  one  of  the  most  extraordinary 
customs  ever  known  to  mankind  is  .  .  .  embalming  of  the 
body  of  the  dead  man,  with  a  purpose  that  the  body  itself 
may  live  again  in  a  future  state." — Atlantis,  pp.  144,  179. 

Pidgeon  says:  "Ancient  Egypt,  first  in  science  and  famous 
in  art,  has  also  left  her  impress  here.  In  1775,  some  of  the  first 
settlers  in  Kentucky,  whose  curiosity  was  excited  by  something 
remarkable  in  the  arrangement  of  stones  that  filled  the  en- 
trance to  a  cave,  removed  them,  and  on  entering,  discovered 
a  number  of  mummies  preserved  by  the  art  of  embalming  in 
as  great  a  state  of  perfection  as  was  known  by  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  eighteen  hundred  years  before  Christ,  which  was 
about  the  time  that  the  Israelites  were  in  bondage  in  Egypt. ' 
— Traditions  of  De-Coo-Dah,  p.  19. 

Ysleta,  Texas,  January  5,  1893:  "A  few  days  ago  Manuel 
Garrizo,  found  .  .  .  the  head  of  a  man  inclosed  in  a  box  of 
virgin  silver  ...  in  a  mound  at  the  foot  of  the  Horsehead 
hills.  .  .  .  The  mound  which  is  a  small  one,  had  always  been 
looked  upon  as  natural,  but  now  turns  out  to  be  the  burial 
place  of  a  dead  and  vanished  race.  .  .  .  The  box  is  roughly 
made,  and  is  covered  with  rude  hieroglyphics.  .  .  .  The  head 
had  been  subjected  to  an  embalming  process." — Philadelphia 
Press,  January  6,  1893. 

Prescott  says:  "Their  [the  Peruvians']  ideas  in  respect  to  a 
future  state  of  being  deserve  more  attention.  They  admitted 
the  existence  of  the  soul  hereafter,  and  connected  with  this 
a  belief  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  They  assigned  two 
distinct  places  for  the  residence  of  the  good  and  of  the 
wicked,  the  latter  of  which  they  fixed  in  the  center  of  the 
earth.  The  good  they  supposed  were  to  pass  a  luxurious  life  of 
tranquility  and  ease,  which  comprehended  their  highest  notions 
of  happiness.  The  wicked  were  to  expiate  their  crimes  by 
ages  of  wearisome  labor.  ...  It  was  this  belief  in  the  resur- 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  59 

rection  of  the  body,  which  led  them  to  preserve  the  body  with 
so  much  solicitude." — Conquest  of  Peru,  vol.  1,  pp.  106,  107. 
"Resurrection  of  the  body  we  must  observe  is  peculiarly 
Christian,  .  .  .  when  the  Spaniards  opened  their  tombs  and 
scattered  the  bones  the  Peruvians  entreated  them  not  to  do 
so  assuring  them  that  these  bones  were  to  be  united  in  the 
resurrection." — Mexican  Antiquities,  vol.  6,  p.  413.  (Book 
of  Mormon,  pp.  253,  255,  448,  449.) 

WHAT  SOME  OF  THE  ABORIGINES  OF  AMERICA 
BELIEVE. 

The  following  article  by  A.  M.  Fyrando  appeared  in  the 
Saints'  Herald  for  April  17,  1907: 

"Moooc  TRIBE:  They  believed  in  one  God,  before  the 
white  man  came;  that  God  made  this  country  especially  for 
them.  In  their  old  country  from  which  they  came  there  was 
a  sacred  mountain  which  all  of  them  visited  once  a  year, 
to  worship  and  be  relieved  of  their  sins.' 

"JACARILLAS,  OF  THE  APACHE  TRIBE:  'Believe  in  a  Messiah 
to  come.' 

CROW  TRIBE:  'Believe  in  the  coming  of  a  Messiah  .  .  . 
who  will  re-create  the  earth,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians.'— 
Ibid.,  p.  361. 

"Sioux  TRIBE:  'Look  for  the  coming  of  an  Indian  Messiah 
who  will  cause  the  dead  Indians  to  come  to  life,  repeople  the 
country,  and  restore  the  Indians'  enjoyment.' 

"OMAHA  TRIBE:  'Have  a  tradition  of  the  flood,  and  of  an 
Indian  finding  a  man  in  a  wigwam  building  a  big  canoe,  before 
the  floods  came.' — Ibid.,  p.  377. 

"PiUTE  TRIBE:  'Their  medicine-men  cure  by  the  laying  on 
of  hands,  asking  the  good  spirit  to  make  the  sick  one  well.' 
— Ibid.,  p.  388. 

"UTE  TRIBE:  'Their  medicine-practice  "faith  cure."  ' — Ibid., 
p.  288.' 

"DELAWARE  INDIANS:  'Believed  that  everyone  has  a  guard- 
ian spirit,  which  visited  them  in  dreams,  tells  them  what 
to  do,  or  of  what  may  happen.'  They  also  relate  that  long 
ago,  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  a  young  Indian  had  a  dream 


60  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

before  the  discovery  of  America  by  white  men.  He  related 
it  in  their  temple  thus.  He  saw  a  large  canoe  with  pinions 
(wings)  coming  across  the  great  waters,  containing  strange 
people  and  predicted  that  in  ten  years  people  with  white 
faces  would  come;  he  related  this  in  the  temple  every  year 
for  ten  years,  and  they  came,  in  a  boat  as  described,  [Colum- 
bus and  his  men — writer].' — Ibid.,  p.  299. 

"WESTERN  SHOSHONES:  'Separate,  or  have  their  women 
to  live  apart  from  their  families  in  a  house,  called  the  sick 
house  (hoo-ne-gar-nee)  during  the  monthly  period,  there  to 
remain  for  eight  to  ten  days.  The  male  members  of  the 
tribe  could  not  be  induced  to  touch  anything  these  women 
had  used  during  the  time  of  their  retirement  or  enter  one 
of  these  houses,  believing  evil  would  follow  the  breaking  of 
an  ancient  custom.' — Ibid.,  p.  387. 

"MESCALEROS,  OF  THE  APACHE  TRIBE:  'They  believe  their 
ideas  of  religion,  of  future  punishment,  of  the  formation  of 
the  world  and  creation  of  man,  of  baptism,  are  the  ancient 
Indian  ideas.' 

"  'They  reason  from  sun,  moon,  and  stars  that  there  is 
a  God.'— Ibid.,  p.  402. 

"DAKOTA  TRIBE:  'They  worship  the  Great  Spirit,  as  the 
creator  of  all  things,  and  governor  of  the  universe,  the  source 
of  all  good,  but  of  no  evil  whatsoever.  They  believe  in  an 
evil  spirit,  constantly  engaged  in  evil;  both  are  eternal,  but 
the  evil  spirit  is  subordinate  to  the  Good  Spirit  (see  Ibid., 
p.  580).' 

"POTTAWATTAMIE  TRIBE:  'Believe  in  one  great  supreme 
Creator,  and  of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments. 
(See  Ibid.,  p.  325.)  Near  Pueblo,  the  Government  agent  found 
a  copper  bracelet.  Doctor  Crane,  in  his  Crania  America, 
says  the  Iroquois  Confederacy  of  six  tribes  were  unsurpassed 
mentally  by  any  people,  the  brain  capacity  of  the  skull  being 
88  inches,  or  less  than  2  inches  less  than  the  Caucasian  race. 
(See  Ibid.,  p.  461).' 

"  'Eleventh  census  report  of  1890  by  the  Government,  under 
Robert  F.  Parker,  superintendent,  and  Carrol  D.  Wright, 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  61 

commissioner   of   labor   in   charge,    Washington,    District   of 
Columbia.' 

"We  also  append  an  article  clipped  from  the  Chicago  Record- 
Herald  of  February  5,  there  being  strong  points  of  similarity 
with  Book  of  Mormon  history: 

"  'INDIANS  AND  "TEN  LOST  TRIBES." 

"  'The  Indians  are  the  most  superstitious  people  on  earth,' 
said  a  man  a  few  days  ago  who  had  taught  for  years  in  a 
Creek  Indian  school.  'They  have  myths  and  legends  by  the 
score.  Some  of  them  are  as  beautiful  and  picturesque  as  the 
legends  of  the  old  Greeks  and  Romans/  writes  the  Chickasha 
correspondent  of  the  Kansas  City  Star. 

"  'I  boarded  for  five  years  with  a  Creek  Indian  who  had 
been  educated  at  Carlisle.  He  knew  the  Indian  legends  and 
used  to  tell  them  to  me  and  his  children  as  we  sat  around 
the  fireplace  of  an  evening.  You  know  the  Creeks  have  a 
legend  that  they  are  one  of  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel.  This 
Indian  was  the  son  of  a  medicine  man  who  was  once  great 
and  powerful  in  the  tribe.  All  his  knowledge  of  Indian  lore 
came  from  his  father,  the  medicine  man. 

"  'This  medicine  man  said  that  the  Creeks  were  one  of  the 
lost  tribes  of  Israel.  The  legend  ran  that  they  were  once 
associated  with  the  other  tribes  and  that  they  had  wandered 
and  became  separated.  They  wandered  for  years  far  to  the 
north  until  they  came  to  a  sea.  There  they  built  boats  and 
embarked.  They  steered  their  course  by  the  wand  of  a 
medicine  man.  Each  morning  he  went  to  his  tepee  and  set 
up  his  divining-rod  and  told  them  which  direction  to  pursue. 
They  followed  this  rod  from  a  warm  country  to  a  cold  sea 
on  which  they  set  sail.  The  sea  was  crossed  and  then  they 
traveled  toward  the  south  again. 

"  'The  Creeks  have  a  covenant  of  their  tribe  which  is  kept 
with  the  chiefs.  No  one  but  the  elect  is  ever  permitted  to 
see  this  guarantee  of  the  genuineness  of  the  Creek  faith  and 
origin.'  "ALMA  M.  FYRANDO." 

"MAGNOLIA,  IOWA." 


62  v        PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

THE  WORD  "MORMON"  AND  ITS  ORIGIN. 

Benham  says:  "Mormon  is  derived  from  the  Galic  Mor, 
meaning  'great'  and  the  Egyptian  Mon,  meaning  'good.'  Thus 
put  together  means  'Great  good.'  " — Dictionary  of  Religions, 
p.  720.  Published  1887. 

"  'Mormon' — One  "of  a  sect  in  the  United  States,  followers 
of  one  Joseph  Smith." — American  Dictionary,  p.  859.  Pub- 
lished 1876. 

Cyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge:  "Mor  is  Galic,  means 
'great.'  Mon  is  Egyptian,  and  means,  'good.'  The  two  put 
together — Mormon— means,  'Great  good.'  " — Published  at 
Hartford,  Connecticut,  1902. 

IS  IT  ANOTHER  GOSPEL? 

Testimonies  of  different  ministers  as  to  the  Book  of  Mormon 
being  another  gospel,  in  answer  to  a  question  asked  them  by 
Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt,  Rev.  W.  T.  Moore,  M.  A.,  LL.  D.,  wrote 
February  8,  1906,  as  follows:  "Of  course,  if  the  book  found 
taught  the  same  gospel  principles  contained  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment it  would  undoubtedly  be  the  same  gospel  and  not  an- 
other. It  might  be  another  book,  but  it  could  not  be  another 
gospel,  if  it  taught  practically  the  same  gospel  that  is  in  the 
New  Testament.  .  .  .  Whatever  is  the  same  is  the  same,  and 
if  any  book  should  teach  practically  the  same  gospel  found 
in  the  New  Testament  this  would  certainly  not  be  another 
gospel,  though  the  book  might  differ  in  every  other  respect 
from  the  New  Testament."  (Italics  mine.) 

Rev.  0.  P.  Gifford,  D.  D.,  wrote,  March  22,  1906:  "Sup- 
posing such  a  book  to  be  found,  I  should  say  it  would  be 
another  witness  of  the  same  gospel."  (Italics  mine.) 

Rev.  George  Batchelor,  Unitarian,  February  10,  1906,  wrote: 
"I  should  say,  .  .  .  that  the  imaginary  documents  that  you 
describe  would  be  another  version  of  the  same  gospel."  (Italics 
mine.) 

Rev.  D.  M.  Mohler,  a  Dunkard  minister,  wrote,  March  11, 
1906:  "If  it  is  just  like  the  New  Testament  gospel  it  would 
not  be  another  gospel"  (Italics  mine.) 

Rev.  James  D.  Moffat,  Presbyterian,  wrote,  February  10, 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  63 

1906:  "If  all  the  conditions  were  fulfilled  and  the  book  were 
found,  there  would  probably  be  considerable  discussion  as  to 
the  meaning:  of  its  contents,  on  the  answer  to  which  its  ap- 
propriate designation  would  depend.  It  is  hardly  conceivable, 
however,  that  anything  more  than  confirmatory  evidence  to 
our  present  gospel  will  ever  be  discovered  in  the  future." 

Rev.  Charles  P.  Mcllvaine,  D.  D.,  bishop  of  the  diocese  of 
Ohio,  says:  "What  a  wonderful  book  is  the  Bible!  But  what 
connection  has  the  Bible  with  American  antiquities?  Be- 
cause of  all  antiquities,  it  is  the  most  valuable  and  marvelous 
specimen;  because  with  all  antiquities  it  is  associated  in  the 
most  important  and  interesting  relations;  because  the  most 
valuable  discoveries  in  antiquity  must  appeal  to  the  Bible  for 
interpretation;  .  .  .  Suppose  that  in  searching  the  tumuli 
that  are  scattered  so  widely  over  •'•his  country,  the  silent,  aged, 
mysterious  remembrancers  of  some  populous  race,  once  carry- 
ing on  all  the  business  of  life  where  now  are  only  the  wild 
forests  of  many  centuries,  a  race  of  whom  we  ask  so  often, 
who  they  were,  whence  they  came,  whither  they  went;  suppose 
that  under  one  of  those  huge  structures  of  earth  which  remain 
of  their  work,  a  book  were  discovered,  an  alphabetic  history 
of  that  race  for  a  thousand  years,  containing  their  written 
language,  and  examples  of  their  poetry  and  other  literature, 
and  all  undeniably  composed  many  hundreds  of  years  before 
any  of  the  nations  now  possessing  this  continent  were  here! 
What  a  wonder  would  this  be!  What  intense  interest  would 
attach  to  such  a  relic!" — Preface  to  John  Delafield's  work  on 
antiquities  of  America,  p.  1. 

ANSWERS  TO  QUESTIONS  ASKED  BY  BISHOP  C.  J. 
HUNT;  ON  MEANING  OF  THE  WORD  "STICK." 

What  is  meant  by  the  "stick  of  Judah"  and  the  "stick  of 
Ephraim,  or  Joseph?"  (Ezekiel  37:  15-20.)  Does  the  first 
refer  to  the  Bible,  and  the  second  to  a  record? 

Rev.  Dr.  John  Henry  Barrows,  president  of  the  Oberlin  Col- 
lege (Congregational),  Oberlin,  Ohio,  gave  his  answer  in  a 
letter  dated  December  7,  1899: 

"The  prophets  were  accustomed  to  act  or  enact  signs  or 


64  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

pictures  before  the  people  in  order  to  make  vivid  their  teach- 
ings. Ezekiel  enacted  this  sign  before  the  people.  If  you 
will  turn  to  Numbers  17:2  you  will  notice  that  the  names 
of  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel  were  written  on 
rods  or  sticks;  and  so  Ezekiel,  inspired  of  the  Lord,  takes 
one  stick  and  writes  upon  it  for  Judah,  and  for  the  children 
of  Israel.  Judah,  Benjamin,  Levi,  and  a  part  of  Simeon 
remained  faithful  to  the  house  of  David,  and  constituted  the 
southern  kingdom.  Then  the  prophet  took  another  stick  and 
wrote  upon  it  for  Joseph,  the  general  name  of  the  ten  north- 
ern tribes.  And  he  called  it  the  stick  of  Ephraim,  because 
Ephraim  was  the  chief  tribe.  Then  he  joined  the  two  sticks 
together  to  indicate  their  unity.  The  prophet  himself  explains 
by  divine  command  what  this  all  means.  'Thus  saith  the 
Lord  God,  Behold  I  take  the  stick  of  Joseph,  which  is  in 
the  hand  of  Ephraim,'  because  Ephraim  was  the  chief  tribe. 
The  stick  of  Joseph  was  in  the  hand  of  Ephraim;  but  the 
stick  of  Judah  was  in  the  Lord's  hand.  And  they  were  to  be 
made  one.  This  gathering  together  of  the  children  of  Israel 
took  place  first  on  the  return  from  Babylon;  when  in  some 
measure  the  distinction  between  Israel  and  Judah  ceased. 
Of  course  the  final  unity  of  Judah  and  Israel  is  to  be  in  Christ 
and  his  kingdom."  * 

Dr.  R.  S.  Storrs,  for  fifty-four  years  pastor  of  the  Church 
of  the  Pilgrims,  Brooklyn,  New  York,  instructed  his  secre- 
tary, December  21,  1899,  to  write: 

"He  understands  'stick'  to  mean  'tablet,'  and  the  two  placed 
together  to  represent  the  union  of  the  whole  Hebrew  nation." 

Rev.  J.  Hogan,  S.  S.,  D.  D.,  Catholic,  New  York  City,  who 
is  a  very  noted  writer  and  minister,  to  which  he  replied  De- 
cember 27,  1899: 

"The  sticks  referred  to  were  two  real  sticks,  representing 
royal  scepters,  with  labels  meant  to  indicate  that  they  denoted 
the  southern  and  northern  kingdoms  of  Judea.  They  were  put 
together  in  order  to  attract  attention  and  give  occasion  to  the 
prophet  to  explain  what  they  symbolized;  viz:  the  return 
of  respresentatives  of  the  divided  kingdoms  to  their  own  (the 
promised)  land  to  make  a  united  nation.  Ezekiel  wrote  dur- 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  65 

ing  the  captivity  of  Babylon  and  his  prophecy  was  an  encour- 
agement. It  was  a  common  thing  with  the  prophets  to  use 
symbols  of  various  kinds  to  convey  their  message  in  a  more 
striking  manner." 

Elder  J.  W.  Ellis,  LL.  D.,  Ph.  D.,  Christian,  writing  from 
Plattsburg,  Missouri,  December  19,  1899: 

"The  word  stick  in  these  passages  is  translated  from 
the  Hebrew,  primarily  meaning  a  tree,  wood;  any  wood; 
as  a  stick,  rod,  etc.  The  reference  is  to  the  writing  on 
rods  the  names  of  Aaron  and  Levi,  etc.  (See  Numbers  17:  3.) 
The  tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  make  up  the  kingdom  of 
Judah;  the  other  tribes  make  up  Israel.  The  joining  of 
the  sticks  end  to  end  is  symbolical  of  a  united  kingdom.  The 
stick  of  Joseph  is  representative  of  the  tribe  of  Joseph;  of 
Ephraim,  the  descendants  of  Ephraim,  etc." 

The  following  from  the  pen  of  W.  W.  Bowling,  of  Saint 
Louis,  Missouri,  who  for  thirty-five  years  has  been  and  still 
is  a  popular  writer  and  publisher  in  and  for  the  Christian 
Church,  will  be  of  interest: 

"The  'sticks'  are  the  tribal  rods,  (see  Numbers  17:  1-3,) 
the  union  of  the  two  rods  was  a  prophecy  in  action  of  the 
brotherly  union  which  is  to  unite  the  ten  tribes  and  Judah." 

"Stick  (ets)  a  piece  of  wood.  The  use  of  staves  for  writ- 
ing upon  as  illustrated  in  Ezekiel  37:  16-20,  was  a  frequent 
practice  for  ancient  nations." — McClintock  and  Strong,  En- 
cyclopedia-, article  "Stick." 

"The  rolls  or  parchment  containing  writing,  consisted  of 
a  single  long  strip,  either  paper  or  parchment,  and  Mr. 
Smith  says  (Bible  Dictionary),  'was  usually  kept  rolled 
upon  a  stick,  and  was  unrolled  when  a  person  wished  to  read 
it.'  "— Peloubet  Edition,  page  566. 

Historians  find  this  custom  of  writing  in  the  days  of  Josiah, 
710  years  B.  C.  : 

"The  king  being  impatient  to  know  the  contents,  the  scribe 
begins  to  read  immediately;  and  as  the  books  of  the  times  were 
written  upon  long  scrolls,  and  rolled  upon  a  stick,  the  latter 


66  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

part  of  the  book  would  come  first." — History  Holy  Bible, 
John  Kitto,  D.  D.,  F.  S.  A.,  p.  403. 

Cyclopedia  of  Biblical  Literature,  by  Rev.  John  McClin- 
tock,  D.  D.,  and  James  Strong,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  vol.  9,  page 
1023: 

"STICKS.  The  use  of  billets  or  staves  of  wood  for  writing 
upon  as  illustrated  in  Ezekiel  37:  16-20,  is  a  frequent  practice 
with  primitive  nations.  This  indeed  is  not  the  first  instance 
of  the  practice  in  scripture;  for,  so  early  as  the  time  of  Moses, 
we  find  a  parallel  example  of  writing  upon  rods.  (Numbers 
17:  6.)  The  custom  existed  among  the  early  Greeks;  as 
we  are  informed  the  laws  of  Solon,  preserved  at  Athens, 
were  inscribed  on  billets  of  wood  called  axones.  Several 
sticks  with  writing  upon  them  were  united  together  in  a  kind 
of  frame  or  table,  in  the  manner  of  a  book — so  constructed 
that  each  stick  might  be  turned  for  the  facility  of  reading. 

"ROLL.  A  book  in  ancient  times  consisted  of  a  single  long 
strip  of  paper  or  parchment,  which  was  usually  kept  rolled 
upon  a  stick  and  was  unrolled  when  a  person  wished  to  read  it. 
What  the  material  was  in  Old  Testament  times  we  are  not 
informed;  but  as  a  knife  was  required  for  its  destruction 
(Jeremiah  36:23),  we  infer  that  it  was  parchment.  The 
writing  was  arranged  in  columns  resembling  a  door  in  shape, 
and  hence  deriving  their  Hebrew  name  "leaves,"  The  con- 
clusion has  been  drawn  that  the  use  of  such  material  as 
parchment  was  not  known  until  the  seventh  century  before 
Christ.  But  this  is  to  assume,  perhaps  too  confidently,  a  late 
date  for  Psalms  40,  and  to  ignore  the  expression,  'roll  to- 
gether,' used  by  Isaiah  (34:  4). — Ibid.,  page  67. 

"  Take  thee  one  stick.'  The  symbolic  action  thus  pre- 
scribed to  the  prophet  was  based  on  the  well-known  historical 
fact  that  the  tribes  of  Israel  in  Mosaic  times  had  been  repre- 
sented by  a  rod,  on  which  was  inscribed  the  name  of  the  tribe 
(Numbers  17),  but  whether  the  stick  Ezekiel  was  instructed 
to  take  was  a  staff,  or  a  block,  or  simply  a  piece  of  wood,  cart 
not  be  decided. 

"Stick— alluding-  to   Numbers   17:2,   the   tribal   rod.     The 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  67 

union  of  the  two  rods  was  a  prophecy  in  action  of  the 
brotherly  union  which  is  to  reunite  the  ten  tribes  and  Judah. 
As  their  severance  under  Jeroboam  was  fraught  with  the 
greatest  evil  to  the  covenant  people,  so  the  first  result  of 
both  being  joined  by  the  spirit  of  life  to  God  is,  they  become 
joined  to  one  another  under  the  one  covenant  king,  Messiah- 
David. 

"Judah  and  .  .  .  children  of  Israel  his  companions — i.  e., 
Judah,  and  besides  Benjamin  and  Levi,  those  who  had  joined 
themselves  to  him  of  Ephraim,  Manasseh,  Simeon,  Asher, 
Zebulun,  Issachar,  as  having  the  temple  and  lawful  priest- 
hood in  his  borders.  (2  Chronicles  11:12,  13,  16;  15:9; 
30:  11,  18.)  The  latter  became  identified  with  Judah  after 
the  carrying  away  of  the  ten  tribes,  and  return  with  Judah 
from  ^Babylon  and  so  shall  be  associated  with  that  tribe  at 
the  future  restoration.  For  Joseph  the  stick  of  Ephraim — 
Ephraim's  posterity  took  the  lead,  not  only  of  the  other  de- 
scendants of  Joseph,  .  .  .  but  of  the  ten  tribes  of  Israel.  .  .  . 
God  had  transferred  the  birthright  from  Reuben  ...  to  Joseph, 
whose  representative,  Ephraim  .  .  .  was  made.  (Genesis  48: 
19;  1  Chronicles  5:1.) 

"Stick  of  Joseph  .  .  . — Ephraim,  of  the  descendants  of 
Joseph,  had  exercised  the  rule  among  the  ten  tribes;  that  rule, 
symbolized  by  the  'stick,'  was  now  to  be  withdrawn  from  him, 
and  to  be  made  with  the  other,  Judah 's  rule,  in  God's  hand. 
— Commentary  by  Jamieson,  Fausset,  and  Brown,  vol.  2, 
pp.  566,  567." 

STICKS,   ROLLS,   AND   RODS. 

(These  can  be  placed  on  canvas  or  on  the  blackboard,  which 
will  help  an  audience  to  comprehend  the  facts  as  set  forth. 
— A.  H.  Parsons.) 


EZEKIEL  37TH  CHAPTER. 


STICKS. 


ROLLS. 


RODS. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  71 

"ARIEL"  SIGNIFIES  JERUSALEM. 

Barnes'  notes  on  Isaiah: 

"To  Ariel.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Jerusalem  is  here 
intended.  'Yet  I  will  distress  Ariel.'  The  reference  here  is 
doubtless  to  the  siege  which  God  says  (verse  3)  he  would 
bring  upon  the  city.  'And  there  shall  be  heaviness  and  sorrow.' 
This  was  true  of  the  city  in  the  siege  of  Sennacherib,  to 
which  this  probably  refers.  'And  shalt  speak  out  of  the 
ground.'  The  sense  here  is  that  Jerusalem  that  had  been 
accustomed  to  pride  itself  on  its  strength  would  be  greatly 
humbled  and  subdued.  It  would  use  the  suppressed  language 
of  fear  and  alarm  as  if  spoken  from  the  dust,  or  in  a  shrill, 
small  voice  like  the  pretended  conversers  with  the  dead. 
'And  the  vision  of  all.'  The  vision  of  all  the  prophets;  that  is, 
all  the  revelations  which  God  has  made  to  you.  The  sense 
is,  that  although  they  had  the  communications  which  God 
had  made  to  them,  yet  they  did  not  understand  them.  They 
were  ignorant  of  their  true  nature  as  a  man  who  can  read 
is  of  the  contents  of  a  letter  that  is  sealed  up,  or  as  a  man 
who  can  not  read  is  of  the  contents  of  a  book  that  is  handed 
to  him. 

"  'As  the  words  of  a  book.'  It  properly  means  anything 
that  is  written.  'And  the  book  is  delivered.'  That  is,  they 
are  just  as  ignorant  of  the  nature  and  meaning  of  the  reve- 
lations of  God  as  a  man  of  the  contents  of  a  book  who  is 
utterly  unable  to  read." 

Isaiah  One  and  His  Book  One,  by  George  C.  M.  Douglass, 
D.  D.,  professor  of  Hebrew  in  Free  Church  College,  Glasgow: 

"  'Ariel'  means  'the  lion  of  God.'  ...  It  was  the  sad 
task  assigned  to  Isaiah  to  see  and  hear  the  people  mock  at 
his  message  (29:  9,  14).  The  evil  condition  of  the  people 
is  owing  to  spiritual  darkness.  Isaiah  goes  on  to  speak  of 
their  state  as  one  of  'deep  sleep';  a  word  not  found  again 
in  this  book,  and  not  common  elsewhere.  It  suggests  an  unnat- 
ural sleep,  almost  always  traced  to  the  immediate  working 
of  God,  and  in  the  way  of  judgment.  Accordingly  it  affects 
especially  those  who  ought  to  have  been  the  eyes  and  the  heads 
of  the  people;  namely,  the  prophets  and  the  seers, — Isaiah 


72  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

styles  them  the  eyes  of  the  people.  Israel,  under  the  influence 
of  this  spirit  of  deep  sleep  poured  out  by  Jehovah,  was  like 
a  man  who  has  taken  a  powerful  narcotic ;  under  the  influence 
of  the  dose,  not  wishing  to  be  disturbed,  he  closes  his  eyes 
and  covers  his  head — deprived  of  their  eyes  and  having  prac- 
tically lost  their  heads,  no  wonder  that  to  them  the  true  mes- 
sage of  God  is  powerless  and  meaningless.  For  a  time  the 
Law  and  the  Testimony  had  been  bound  up  and  sealed  among 
Isaiah's  disciples  (8:  16).  That  was  during  the  dark  days 
of  Ahaz — yet  now,  when  Isaiah  would  have  stirred  the  people 
up  for  a  better  time,  they  made  the  excuse  that  they  could 
not  read  his  book  because  it  was  sealed,  or  if  it  was  handed 
open  to  another,  he  replied  that  he  had  not  learned  to  read; 
no  doubt  he  had  left  this  task  to  the  prophets  and  heads  with 
their  pretended  visions  (38:  15-18).  These  men  were  of  no 
use  in  the  present  emergency.  Therefore  Jehovah  was  about 
to  act  in  a  way  the  most  marvelous  that  could  be  conceived. 
.  .  .  The  forest  of  Lebanon  should  change  places  with  the 
fruitful  field,  and  this  in  a  very  little  while,  as  at  10 :  25. 
Amid  these  changes  the  deaf  and  the  blind  should  recover 
their  lost  senses,  and  thus  Isaiah  would  see  a  happy  issue. 
His  book  had  been  reckoned  useless  as  a  sealed  book  (verse 
11),  but  now  even  the  deaf  should  hear  it,  presumably  while 
the  blind  read  it  to  them.  The  meek  and  the  poor  are 
often  the  representatives  of  the  true  Israel.  Their  joy  is  an 
ever  increasing  Joy,  for  it  is  in  the  Holy  One  of  Israel." 
—Pages  250-254. 

Critical,  Doctrinal,  and  Homiletical  Commentary,  by  Schaff, 
page  316: 

"The  Lord  causes  Jerusalem  to  be  told  that  he  will  besiege 
and  afflict  her  greatly,  so  that  she,  bowed  low  in  the  dust,  will 
let  her  voice  sound  faintly  as  the  spirit  of  one  dead  (verse  4), 
but  the  comforting  promise  is  annexed  that  the  enemies  of 
Jerusalem  will  suddenly  become  as  fine  dust;  or  as  flying  chaff 
(verse  5) .  The  whole  force  that  fight  against  Ariel,  i.  e., 
the  mount  of  God,  will  pass  away  as  a  vision  of  a  dream  in 
the  night  (verse  7).  In  verses  9  to  12  the  prophet  himself 
depicts  the  effect  of  his  words  on  the  obdurant  people,  they 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  73 

build  on  other  aid.  They  therefore  hear  the  words  of  the 
prophet  in  fixed  amazement  (verse  9),  for  they  are  blind 
(verse  10),  and  in  relation  to  the  prophecy  they  are  as'one 
who  has  to  read  a  sealed  document,  or  as  one  who  has  an 
unsealed  writing  given  him  to  rei.d,  but  he  can  not  read. 
Reading  was  an  art  which  was  not  understood  by  everyone. 
He  who  could  not  himself  read,  must  request  another  to  read 
to  him.  Thus  was  it  too  with  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah.  The 
people  must  apply  to  their  prophets  to  interpret  it  for  them. 
If  anyone  reaches  me  a  sealed  paper,  in  order  that  I  may 
read  it  to  him,  he  must  give  permission  to  unseal  it.  It 
appears  to  me  the1  comparison  here  made  use  of  is  pure  im- 
agery. It  is  very  unlikely  that  anyone  could  not  comply 
with  the  request  to  read  a  document  because  it  was  sealed. 
The  prophet  only  imagines  such  a  case.  The  words  of  Isaiah 
were  to  many  among  those  prophets  of  the  people  sealed 
words,  i.  e.,  intelligible  as  to  their  verbal  meaning,  but  incom- 
prehensible as  to  their  inner  signification." 

Pulpit  Commentary,  by  Rev.  H.  D.  M.  Spence,  M.  A.,  Dean 
of  Gloucester,  and  Rev.  Joseph  S.  Exell,  M.  A.,  pages  493, 
494: 

"  'Ariel'  is  clearly  a  mystic  name  for  Jerusalem,  parallel  to 
'Sheshach'  as  a  name  for  Babylon.  (Jeremiah  25:  26.)  It  is 
generally  explained  as  equivalent  to  Ari-El — lion  of  God — 
or  hearth  of  God,  or  altar  of  God.  /Thy  speech  shall  be  low.' 
The  feeble  cries  of  a  people  wasted  and  worn  out  by  a  long 
siege  resemble  those  which  seemed  to  come  out  of  the  ground 
when  a  necromancer  professed  to  raise  a  ghost.  'Thy  speech 
shall  whisper,'  literally,  chirp.  'The  Lord  hath  poured  out 
upon  you  the  spirit  of  deep  sleep.'  Here  is  a  spiritual  dead- 
ness  and  impassiveness,  an  inability  to  appreciate  spiritual 
warning.  *The  vision  of  all' — the  entire  vision — 'as  the  words 
of  a  book.'  Rather,  the  words  of  a  letter  or  writing.  Written 
documents  were  often  sealed  up  to  secure  secrecy.  When  the 
writing  was  on  a  clay  tablet  it  was  often  inclosed  in  a  clay 
envelope.  Rolls  of  papyrus  or  parchment  were  secured  differ- 
ently. 'One  that  is  learned.'  One  that  can  read  writing, 
which  the  ordinary  Jew  could  not  do.  Neither  the  learned 


74  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

nor  the  unlearned  Jew  would  be  able  to  understand  Isaiah's 
prophecy  so  as  to  realize  and  accept  its  literal  truth.  'To  him 
that  is  not  learned.'  That  can  not  read  writing.  Even  in  our 
Lord's  day  the  ordinary  Jew  was  not  taught  to  read  and  write. 
'I  will  proceed  to  do  a  marvelous  work.'  Commentators  are 
not  agreed  what  this  marvelous  work  was.  Some  think  it  to 
be  the  hardening  of  the  hearts  of  the  Jews  to  such  an  extent 
that  even  the  appearance  of  wisdom  and  understanding  which 
the  rulers  of  the  people  had  hitherto  retained  would  completely 
disappear.  'Lebanon  shall  be  turned  into  a  fruitful  field.' 
Lebanon,  the  wild  forest,  shall  become  smiling  garden  ground, 
while  garden  ground  shall  revert  into  wild,  uncultivated  forest. 
An  inversion  of  the  moral  condition  of  Judea  is  shadowed  forth 
by  the  metaphor.  'Deaf  shall  hear.'  The  spiritually  deaf 
shall  have  their  ears  opened,  many  of  them,  and  shall  under- 
stand the  words  of  scripture  addressed  to  them." 

"A  designation  given  by  Isaiah  to  the  city  of  Jerusalem 
(Isaiah  29:  1,  2,  7).  We  must  understand  by  it  either  "lion 
of  God"  or  the  "chief  city."— Smith's  Bible  Dictionary,  p.  52. 

TESTIMONY  AS  TO  THE  CHARACTERS  ON  THE 

PLATES  FROM  WHICH  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON 

WAS  TRANSLATED  BY  JOSEPH  SMITH. 

Martin  Harris  says:  "I  went  to  the  city  of  New  York 
and  presented  the  characters  which  had  been  translated,  with 
the  translation  thereof,  to  Professor  Anthon,  a  gentleman 
celebrated  for  his  literary  attainments.  Professor  Anthon 
stated  that  the  translation  was  correct,  more  so  than  any  he 
had  before  seen  translated  from  the  Egyptian.  I  then  showed 
him  those  which  were  not  translated,  and  he  said  they  were 
Egyptian,  Chaldaic,  Assyric,  and  Arabic,  and  he  said  that 
they  were  the  true  characters.  He  gave  me  a  certificate 
certifying  to  the  people  of  Palmyra  that  they  were  true 
characters,  and  that  the  translation  of  such  of  them  as  had 
been  translated  was  also  correct.  I  took  the  certificate  and 
put  it  into  my  pocket,  and  was  just  leaving  the  house,  when 
Mr.  Anthon  called  me  back,  and  asked  me  how  the  young 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  75 

man  found  out  there  were  gold  plates  in  the  place  where 
he  found  them.  I  answered  that  an  angel  of  God  had 
revealed  it  unto  him. 

He  then  said  to  me,  'Let  me  see  the  certificate.'  I  accord- 
ingly took  it  out  of  my  pocket  and  gave  it  to  him,  when  he 
took  it  and  tore  it  to  pieces,  saying  there  was  no  such  thing 
now  as  ministering  of  angels,  and  that  if  I  would  bring  the 
plates  to  him,  he  would  translate  them.  I  informed  him  that 
part  of  the  plates  were  sealed,  and  that  I  was  forbidden  to 
bring  them.  He  replied,  'I  can  not  read  a  sealed  book."- 
Church  History,  vol.  1,  p.  19. 

Prof.  Anthon  said:  "This  paper,  in  question,  was  in  fact  a 
singular  scroll.  It  consisted  of  all  kinds  of  crooked  characters, 
disposed  in  columns,  and  had  evidently  been  prepared  by  some 
person  who  had  before  him,  at  the  time,  a  book  containing 
various  alphabets,  Greek  and  Hebrew  letters,  crosses,  and 
flourishes;  Roman  letters  inverted  or  placed  sideways,  were 
arranged  and  placed  in  perpendicular  columns ;  and  the  whole 
ended  in  a  rude  delineation  of  a  circle,  divided  into  various 
compartments,  decked  with  various  strange  marks." — Church 
History,  vol.  1,  pp.  21,  22. 

E.  D.  Howe  says:  "When  the  plates  were  said  to  have 
been  found,  a  copy  of  one  or  two  lines  of  the  characters  were 
taken  by  Mr.  Harris  to  Utica,  Albany,  and  New  York;  at 
New  York  they  were  shown  Doctor  Mitchill,  and  he  referred 
them  to  Professor  Anthon,  who  translated  and  declared  them 
to  be  the  ancient  shorthand  Egyptian." — History  of  Mor- 
monism,  p.  273. 

TESTIMONY  OF  THE  THREE  WITNESSES  TO  THE 
BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

"Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues,  and  peo- 
ple, unto  whom  this  work  shall  come,  that  we,  through  the 
grace  of  God  the  Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  have 
seen  the  plates  which  contain  this  record,  which  is  a  record  of 
the  people  of  Nephi,  and  also  of  the  Lamanites,  their  breth- 
ren, and  also  of  the  people  of  Jared,  who  came  from  the  tower 
of  which  hath  been  spoken;  and  we  also  know  that  they  have 


76  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

been  translated  by  the  gift  and  power  of  God,  for  his  voice 
hath  declared  it  unto  us;  wherefore  we  know  of  a  surety,  that 
the  work  is  true.  And  we  also  testify  that  we  have  seen  the 
engravings  which  are  upon  the  plates;  and  they  have  been 
shown  unto  us  by  the  power  of  God,  and  not  of  man.  And 
we  declare  with  words  of  soberness,  that  an  angel  of  God 
came  down  from  heaven,  and  he  brought  and  laid  before  our 
eyes,  that  we  beheld  and  saw  the  plates,  and  the  engravings 
thereon;  and  we  know  that  it  is  by  the  grace  of  God  the 
Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  we  beheld  and  bare 
record  that  these  things  are  true;  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our 
eyes,  nevertheless,  the  voice  of  the  Lord  commanded  us  that 
we  should  bear  record  of  it;  wherefore,  to  be  obedient  unto  the 
commandments  of  God,  we  bear  testimony  of  these  things. 
And  we  know  that  if  we  are  faithful  in  Christ,  we  shall  rid 
our  garments  of  the  blood  of  all  men,  and  be  found  spotless 
before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  and  shall  dwell  with  him 
eternally  in  the  heavens.  And  the  honor  be  to  the  Father, 
and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  is  one  God. 
Amen. 

"OLIVER  COWDERY. 

"DAVID  WHITMER. 

"MARTIN  HARRIS." 

— Book  of  Mormon. 

TESTIMONY  OF  EIGHT  WITNESSES. 

"Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues,  and  peo- 
ple, unto  whom  this  work  shall  come,  that  Joseph  Smith,  jr., 
the  translator  of  this  work,  has  shown  unto  us  the  plates  of 
which  hath  been  spoken,  which  have  the  appearance  of  gold; 
and  as  many  of  the  leaves  as  the  said  Smith  has  translated, 
we  did  handle  with  our  hands:  and  we  also  saw  the  engravings 
thereon,  all  of  which  has  the  appearance  of  ancient  work,  and 
of  curious  workmanship.  And  this  we  bear  record  with  words 
of  soberness,  that  the  said  Smith  has  shown  unto  us,  for  we 
have  seen  and  hefted,  and  know  of  a  surety  that  the  said 
Smith  has  got  the  plates  of  which  we  have  spoken.  And  we 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  77 

give  our  names  unto  the  world,  to  witness  unto  the  world  that 
which  we  have  seen;  and  we  lie  not,  God  bearing  witness  of  it. 

"CHRISTIAN  WHITMER. 

"JACOB  WHITMER. 

"PETER  WHITMER,  JR. 

"JOHN  WHITMER. 

" HIRAM  PAGE. 

"JOSEPH  SMITH,  SR. 

"HYRUM  SMITH. 

"SAMUEL  H.  SMITH." 
— Book  of  Mormon. 

MISCELLANEOUS   TESTIMONY   CONCERNING  THE 

BOOK  OF  MORMON  AND  VERACITY  OF 

THE  WITNESSES  TO  THE  SAID 

BOOK. 

Oliver  Cowdery  died  at  Richmond,  Missouri,  March  3, 
1850;  his  dying  charge  to  David  Whitmer  being,  "Brother 
David,  be  true  to  your  testimony  to  the  book  of  Mormon." 
— Church  History,  vol.  1,  p.  50. 

Martin  Harris  died  at  Clarkston,  Cache  Comity,  Utah,  July 
10,  1875.  Answering  the  question  of  H.  B.  Emerson,  of  New 
Richmond,  Ohio,  "Did  you  go  to  England  to  lecture  against 
Mormonism?"  he  said,  "I  ancv/er  emphatically,  No,  I  did  not; 
no  man  ever  heard  me  in  any  way  deny  the  truth  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon." — Church  History,  vol.  1,  pp.  50,  51. 

David  Whitmer  died  at  Richmond,  Missouri,  January  25, 
1888.  ."On  Sunday  evening  at  5.30,  January  22,  188S,  Mr. 
Whitmer  called  his  family  and  some  friends  to  his  bedside, 
and  addresing  himself  to  the  attending  physician,  said,  'Doc- 
tor Buchanan,  I  want  you  .to  say  whether  or  not  I  am  in 
my  right  mind  before  I  give  my  dying  testimony.'  The  doctor 
answered,  'Yes,  you  are  in  your  right  mind,  for  I  have  just 
had  a  conversation  with  you.'  He  then  addressed  himself 
to  all  around  his  bedside  in  these  words,  'Now  you  must  all 
be  faithful  in  Christ;  I  want  to  say  to  all  of  you  that  the 
Bible  and  the  record  of  the  Nephites  (Book  of  Mormon)  is 


78  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

true,  so  you  can  say  that  you  have  heard  me  bear  my  testi- 
mony on  my  deathbed.'  " — Richmond  Democrat  January  2G, 
1888. 

TESTIMONY  OF  TWENTY-ONE  PERSONS  AS  TO  THE 
VERACITY   OF   MR.   WHITMER. 

"We  the  undersigned  citizens  of  Richmond,  Ray  County, 
Missouri,  where  David  Whitmer,  sr.,  has  resided  since  the 
year  A.  D.,  1838,  certify  that  we  have  been  long  and  intimately 
acquainted  with  him  and  know  him  to  be  a  man  of  the  highest 
integrity,  and  of  undoubted  truth,  and  veracity:  A.  W. 
Doniphan;  G.  W.  Dunn,  judge  of  the  fifth  judicial  circuit; 
T.  D.  Woodson,  president  of  Ray  County  Savings  Bank;  J.  T. 
Child,  editor  of  Conservator;  H.  C.  Garner,  cashier  of  Ray 
County  Savings  Bank;  W.  A.  Holman,  county  treasurer;  J. 
S.  Hughes,  banker;  James  Hughes,  banker;  D.  C.  Whitmei 
attorney  at  law ;  James  W.  Black,  attorney  at  law ;  L.  C.  Cant- 
well,  postmaster;  Geo.  I.  Wasson,  mayor;  Jas.  A.  Davif, 
county  collector;  C.  J.  Hughes,  probate  judge  and  presiding 
justice  of  Ray  County  court;  George  W.  Trigg,  county  clerk: 
W.  W.  Mosby,  M.  D.;  Thos.  McGinnis,  ex-sheriff  of  Ray 
County;  J.  P.  Quesenberry,  merchant;  W.  R.  Holman,  furni- 
ture merchant;  Lewis  Slaughter,  recorder  of  deeds;  Geo.  W. 
Buchanan,  M.  D.;  A.  K.  Reyburn.  Given  at  Richmond, 
Missouri,  this  March  19,  A.  D.  1881." — Church  History,  vol.  1, 
p.  56;  also  Richmond  Conservator,  March  24,  1881. 

CHANGES. 

Book  of  Mormon  committee  report,  published  in  the  Saints' 
Herald,  August  23,  1884:  "While  the  changes  are  ma<ty,  they 
are  such  as  do  not  affect  the  doctrine  taught,  or  destroy  tne 
sense  in  any  respect,  but  are  of  the  following  character:- 
Where  in  the  manuscript  'which  are,'  'which  had,'  'whlcn  was,' 
and  'they  which,'  are  found  they  are  changed  to  'who  are,' 
'who  had,'  'who  was'  and  'those  who.'  .  .  .  These  changes, 
numbers  of  which  were  made  in  the  manuscript  s«nce  the 
Palmyra  edition  was  published  in  1830,  and  prior  to  the  pub- 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  79 

lishing  of  the  Kirtland  Edition  in  1837,  appear  to  have  been 

made  by  whom  we  can  not  learn. 

"WM.  H.  KELLEY, 
"ALEX.  H.  SMITH, 
"THOS.  W.  SMITH, 

"Committee." 

CHARACTER  OF   EARLY  SAINTS. 

Mr.  Smucker  says:  "It  is  utterly  incredible  that  Joseph 
Smith  who,  great  impostor  as  he  was,  never  missed  an  oppor- 
tunity to  denounce  seducers  and  adulterers  as  unfit  to  enter 
into  his  church,  should  have  been  concerned  directly  or  indi- 
rectly in  proceedings  like  these;  though  it  is  scarcely  surpris- 
ing that  when  such  stories  have  been  circulated  by  men  whom 
the  prophet  had  thwarted  or  reprimanded  there  should  have 
been  found  some  persons  willing  to  credit  them.  .  .  .  We  must 
remember,  too,  that  Smith  universally  in  all  his  letters,  reve- 
lations, and  speeches  denounced  adultery  and  fornication. 
Subject,  as  all  founders  of  religious  systems  are,  to  calumny, 
we  can  not  resist  the  doubt  that  there  may  have  been  mis- 
representation and  exaggeration,  both  as  to  the  character  of 
Joseph  Smith  and  the  cause  of  his  untimely  end." — Smucker's 
History,  pp.  174,  379. 

General  Doniphan  said  in  1881  as  found  in  the  Kansas 
City  Journal,  of  the  troubles  in  Missouri  between  Latter  Day 
Saints  and  the  Missourians:  "I  located  in  Lexington,  Mis- 
souri, in  1830.  Three  years  afterward  I  moved  to  Liberty, 
Clay  County.  The  first  acquaintance  I  had  with  the  ministers 
of  this  peculiar  denomination  was  in  1831.  They  were  north- 
ern people,  who,  on  account  of  their  declining  to  own  slaves, 
and  their  denunciation  of  the  system  of  slavery  were  termed 
'Free  soilers.'  The  majority  of  them  were  intelligent,  indus- 
trious, and  law-abiding  citizens.  Soon  after  they  came  to 
Jackson  County  they  established  a  newspaper  at  Independence 
called  The  Morning  and  Evening  Star,  edited  by  W.  W.  Phelps, 
in  which  they  published  their  peculiar  tenets.  This  of  course 
caused  hard  feelings  between  them  and  the  people  of  the 
county,  which  culminated  in  the  month  of  July,  1833,  in  a  mob 


80  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

tearing  down  the  printing  house,  and  destroying  a  great 
amount  of  their  property,  and  tarring  and  feathering  Bishop 
Partridge,  and  committing  numerous  other  outrages.  In 
1836-7,  I  was  a  member  of  the  legislature,  and  drew  the  bill 
organizing  Caldwell  County  for  the  Saints  exclusively,  and 
the  offices  of  the  county  were  given  to  their  people.  .  .  . 
While  they  resided  in  Clay  County  they  were  a  peaceable, 
sober,  industrious,  and  law-abiding  people,  and  during  their 
stay  with  us  not  one  was  ever  accused  of  a  crime  of  any  kind." 

In  a  sworn  statement  Benjamin  Mark  ell,  a  resident  of  Kirt- 
land,  not  a  Saint,  testified  November  29,  1884,  as  follows:  "I 
was  acquainted  with  old  Father  Smith's  whole  family.  Knew 
Joseph,  Hyrum,  Carlos,  William,  and  all  the  rest  who  came 
here.  .  .  .  Hyrum  was,  I  always  thought,  a  very  exemplary 
man.  William  was  more  fond  of  fun  and  sport.  I  dwelt  with 
Joseph  Smith  when  he  lived  here.  At  one  time  I  loaned  him 
about  two  hundred  dollars  in  money.  He  paid  me  as  he  agreed. 
At  different  other  times  I  loaned  him  small  sums;  he  always 
paid  me  and  acted  honorably." — Pioneer  Reminiscences  Ex- 
amined, Willoughby  Independent  (Ohio). 

Hubert  H.  Bancroft  says:  "When  the  testimony  on  both 
sides  is  carefully  weighed,  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  Mor- 
mons in  Missouri  and  Illinois  were,  as  a  class,  a  more  moral, 
honest,  temperate,  hard  working,  self-denying,  and  thrifty 
people  than  the  Gentiles  by  whom  they  were  surrounded." — 
History  of  Utah,  p.  164. 

Reuben  P.  Harmon,  being  duly  sworn,  testified  as  follows: 
"I  came  to  Kirtland  in  the  year  1822.  .  .  .  Q.  Were  you 
acquainted  with  Joseph  Smith?  A.  I  was  acquainted  with 
him.  Q.  You  may  state  anything  you  know  about  his  con- 
duct as  being  bad?  A.  I  never  knew  anything  bad  about  him. 
.  .  .  Q.  What  was  (his)  that  reputation?  A.  I  regarded  that 
it  was  good.  Q.  What  was  his  reputation  for  honesty?  State 
that —  -  A.  I  never  heard  it  questioned.  Q.  Did  you  belong  to 
the  church?  A.  I  did  not  belong  to  any  church.  ...  Q.  Just 
state  how  the  people  here  compared  with  people  in  other 
places?  A.  If  I  was  to  state  what  I  know,  I  would  say  that 
I  had  no  right  to  question  their  honesty.  I  have  heard  reports, 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  81 

but   I    do   not   know   anything   against   them." — Braden    and 
Kelley  Debate,  pp.  391,  392. 

A.  E.  Sanborn,  having  been  produced  and  duly  sworn,  tes- 
tifies as  follows:  "Q.  Mr.  Sanborn,  where  do  you  live?  A. 
I  live  about  a  mile  east  of  here  [Kirtland].  Q.  How  long 
have  you  lived  here?  A.  About  forty-seven  years.  .  .  .  Q. 
Were  you  personally  acquainted  with  Joseph  Smith?  A. 
Yes,  sir.  I  was  acquainted  with  Joseph  Smith.  .  .  .  Q.  You 
may  state  all  you  know  about  him?  A.  Well,  I  knew  him  to 
be  a  kind,  generous  and  truthful  neighbor;  he  was  a  very  kind 
man.  Q.  What  was  his  general  moral  character?  A.  It  was 
good."— Ibid.,  pp.  393,  394. 

Rev.  James  K.  Applebee,  in  1886,  said — after  quoting  the 
Word  of  Wisdom  (section  86,  page  244,  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants) :'"In  his  Word  of  Wisdom  Joseph  Smith  teaches  that 
it  is  not  good  to  drink  wine  or  strong  drinks,  excepting  in  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  then  it  should  be  home 
made  grape  wine;  that  it  is  not  good  to  drink  hot  drinks  or 
chew  or  smoke  tobacco;  that  strong  drinks  are  for  the  wash- 
ing of  the  body,  and  that  tobacco  is  an  herb  for  bruises  and 
sick  cattle.  .  .  .  Anyhow  it  has  had  its  effect  on  the  Mormon 
people  so  that  next  to  being  the  thriftiest,  they  are  the 
soberest  people  on  this  continent." — Saints'  Herald,  p.  806, 
December  25,  1886. 

Quincy,  Illinois,  Argus,  March  16,  1839 :  "We  give  in  to-day's 
paper  the  details  of  the  recent  bloody  tragedy  acted  in  Mis- 
souri— the  details  of  a  scene  of  terror  and  blood  unparalleled 
in  the  annals  of  modern,  and  under  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  in  ancient  history — a  tragedy  of  so  deep  and  fearful,  and 
absorbing  interest,  that  the  very  life  blood  of  the  heart  is 
chilled  at  the  simple  contemplation.  We  are  prompted  to  ask 
ourselves  if  it  be  really  true,  that  we  are  living  in  an  enlight- 
ened, a  humane  and  civilized  age — in  an  age  and  quarter  of 
the  world  boasting  of  its  progress  in  everything  good,  and 
great,  and  honorable,  and  virtuous,  and  high-minded — in  a 
country  of  which,  as  American  citizens,  we  could  be  proud 
—whether  we  are  living  under  a  constitution  and  laws,  or 


82  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

have  not  rather  returned  to  the  ruthless  times  of  the  stern 
Atilla — to  the  times  of  the  fiery  Hun,  when  the  sword  and. 
flame  ravaged  the  fair  fields  of  Italy  and  Europe,  and  the 
darkest  passions  held  full  revel  in  all  the  revolting  scenes  of 
unchecked  brutality  and  unbridled  desire?  We  have  no  lan- 
guage sufficiently  strong  for  the  expression  of  our  indignation 
and  shame  at  the  recent  transaction  in  a  sister  State — and 
that  State  Missouri — a  State  of  which  we  had  long  been 
proud,  alike  for  her  men  and  history,  but  now  so  fallen  that 
we  could  wish  her  star  stricken  out  from  the  bright  constella- 
tion of  the  Union.  We  say  we  know  of  no  language  suffi- 
ciently strong  for  the  expression  of  our  shame  and  abhor- 
rence of  her  recent  conduct.  She  has  written  her  own  charac- 
ter in  letters  of  blood  and  stained  it  by  acts  of  merciless 
cruelty  and  brutality  that  the  waters  of  ages  can  not  efface." 
—Persecution  of  the  Saints,  pp.  178-180.  Quoted  from  Truth 
Defended,  p.  220,  by  Elder  Heman  C.  Smith. 

The  Democratic  Association,  of  Quincy,  Illinois,  on  February 
28,  1839,  after  inviting  other  citizens  to  meet  with  it,  adopted 
the  following  resolutions:  "Resolved,  That  we  regard  the 
rights  of  conscience  as  natural  and  inalienable,  and  the  most 
sacred  guaranteed  by  the  Constitution  of  our  free  Government. 
Resolved,  That  we  regard  the  acts  of  all  mobs  as  flagrant 
violations  of  law,  and  those  who  compose  them,  individu- 
ally responsible,  both  to  the  laws  of  God  or  man  for  every 
depredation  committed  upon  the  property,  rights,  or  life  of 
any  citizen.  Resolved,  That  the  inhabitants  upon  the  western 
frontier  of  the  State  of  Missouri  in  their  late  persecutions  of 
the  class  of  people  denominated  Mormons,  have  violated  the 
sacred  rights  of  conscience,  and  every  law  of  justice  and 
humanity.  Resolved,  That  the  governor  of  Missouri  in  refus- 
ing protection  to  this  class  of  people  when  pressed  upon  by 
an  heartless  mob,  and  turning  upon  them  a  band  of  un- 
principled militia,  with  orders  encouraging  their  extermina- 
tion, has  brought  a  lasting  disgrace  upon  the  State  over  which 
he  presides." — Persecution  of  the  Saints,  pp.  190,  191;  Ibid., 
pp.  220,  221. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  83 

The  Western  Messenger,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  about  Novem- 
ber or  December,  1840,  contained  the  following:  "Reader! 
Let  not  the  word  Mormon  repel  you!  Think  not  that  you 
have  no  interest  in  the  cruelties  perpetrated  on  this  poor  peo- 
ple! Read,  we  pray  you,  the  history  of  this  persecuted  com- 
munity; examine  the  detailed  facts  of  these  atrocities;  reflect 
upon  the  hallowed  principles  and  usages  trampled  under  foot 
by  ruffians;  bring  before  your  mind  the  violations  of  all  law, 
human  and  divine,  of  all  right,  natural  and  civil,  of  all  ties 
of  society  and  humanity,  of  all  duties  of  justice,  honor,  hon- 
esty, and  mercy,  committed  by  so-called  freemen  and  Chris- 
tians— and  then  speak  out,  speak  out,  for  prostrate  law,  for 
liberty  disgraced,  for  outraged  man,  for  heaven  insulted. 

"  'Loud  as  a  summer  thunderbolt  shall  waken  a  people's 
voice.' 

"We  speak  strongly,  for  we  feel  strongly;  and  we  wish  to 
attract  attention  to  a  tragedy  of  almost  unequaled  horror, 
which  has  been  unblushingly  enacted  in  a  State  of  this  Union. 
Its  history  should  be  trumpeted  abroad  until  the  indignant 
rebuke  of  the  whole  land  compels  the  authors,  abettors  and 
tolerators  of  these  wrongs,  to  make  the  small  return  now  in 
their  power,  for  their  aggravated  injustice.  Life  can  not  be 
restored  to  the  murdered,  nor  health  to  the  broken  down  in 
body  and  soul,  nor  peace  to  the  bereaved;  but  the  spoils  on 
which  robbers  are  now  fattening  can  be  repaid;  the  loss  of 
the  destitute  can  be  made  up;  the  captive  can  be  freed,  and 
until  by  legislative  acts  she  makes  redress — Missouri  is  dis- 
graced. .  .  .  But  when  after  months,  we  may  say  years  of 
suffering  from  similar  outrages,  harassed  by  anxieties,  goaded 
by  wrongs,  and  under  the  advice  of  authorities,  civil  and 
military,  these  poor  fellows,  deserted  by  the  militia  guard, 
unprotected  by  the  State,  did  at  last  defend  their  houses  from 
pillage,  their  children  and  wives  from  abuse,  themselves  from 
murder — then  was  the  cry  of  'Mormon  war'  raised,  and  Gov- 
ernor Boggs,  to  his  lasting  infamy,  sent  out  his  orders  for 
exterminating  these  citizens  of  Missouri,  whom  it  was  his  duty 
under  oath  to  save.  In  his  order  of  October  27,  he  says:  'The 


84  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Mormons  must  be  treated  as  enemies  and  must  be  extermi- 
nated or  driven  from  the  State,  if  necessary  for  the  public 
good.'  The  Mormons  had  only  defended  themselves  against 
infuriated  and  lawless  rioters;  so  soon  as  General  Lucas  ar- 
rived and  presented  the  governor's  orders,  they  submitted  to 
the  authorities  of  the  State.  They  gave  up  their  arms  and 
were  made  prisoners."— Truth  Defended,  pp.  221,  222,  223. 

Davis  H.  Bays,  the  "child  of  providence,"  has  this  to  say: 
"While  the  Mormons,  and  more  especially  the  leaders,  were 
doubtless  responsible  for  a  liberal  share  of  these  troubles,  yet 
for  this  flagrant  outrage  upon  the  rights  and  liberties  of  free 
American  citizens,  there  can  not  be  offered  even  the  shadow 
of  excuse.  The  plea  that  the  Mormons  had  violated  the  laws 
of  the  State  can  not  be  offered  in  justification  of  so  grave  an 
offense  against  the  cause  of  humanity,  and  the  peace  and 
dignity  of  the  State  of  Missouri.  If  the  Mormons  had  violated 
the  laws  of  the  State,  as  their  enemies  charged,  why  not  try 
them  for  their  offenses,  and  if  found  guilty,  punish  them 
according  to  the  provisions  of  the  law  they  are  charged  with 
having  violated?  To  say  they  could  not  be  convicted,  if 
guilty,  can  not  be  entered  as  a  plea  in  abatement  of  the 
offense,  for  certainly  if  the  State  had  the  power  to  expel  the 
entire  Mormon  citizenship  from  the  State,  it  must  have  pos- 
sessed the  power  to  enforce  its  laws  against  the  individual 
transgressor.  It  matters  not  what  their  peculiarities,  or  how 
absurd  may  appear  the  tenets  of  their  religion,  they  were 
American  citizens,  amenable  to  the  laws  of  the  country,  and 
as  such  should  have  been  protected  in  their  rights  of  citizen- 
ship. A  great  nation,  a  sovereign  State,  and  a  large-minded, 
liberty-loving  people  can  well  afford  to  deal  justly,  even  with 
'Mormons.'  The  scenes  of  Independence  and  Carthage  can 
never  again  be  repeated  in  the  United  States,  and  well  for  the 
honor  of  a  great  nation  that  it  is  so." — The  Doctrines  and 
Dogmas  of  Mormonism,  pp.  396,  397. 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  85 

RETRIBUTION. 

ORDER  OF  GENERAL  COMMANDING  UNITED  STATES  FORCES  IN 

MISSOURI. 

"HEADQUARTERS  DISTRICT  OF  THE  BORDER, 

KANSAS  CITY,  MISSOURI,  August  25,  1863. 
(General  Order  No.  11.) 

"First.  All  persons  living  in  Cass,  Jackson,  and  Bates 
Counties,  Missouri,  and  in  that  part  of  Vernon  included  in  this 
district,  except  those  living  within  one  mile  of  the  limits  of 
Independence,  Hickman's  Mills,  Pleasant  Hill,  and  Harrison- 
ville,  and  except  those  in  that  part  of  Kaw  Township,  Jack- 
son County,  north  of  Brush  Creek,  and  west  of  the  Big  Blue, 
embracing  Kansas  City  and  Westport,  are  hereby  ordered  to 
remove  from  their  present  places  of  residence  within  fifteen 
days  from  the  date  hereof.  Those  who  within  that  time, 
establish  their  loyalty  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  military  station  nearest  their  present  place  of 
residence,  will  receive  from  him  certificates  stating  the  fact 
of  their  loyalty,  and  the  names  of  the  witnesses  by  whom  it 
can  be  shown.  All  who  receive  such  certificate  will  be  per- 
mitted to  remove  to  any  military  station  in  this  district,  or 
to  any  part  of  the  State  of  Kansas,  except  the  counties  on 
the  eastern  borders  of  the  State.  All  others  shall  remove  out 
of  this  district.  Officers  commanding  companies  and  detach- 
ments serving  in  the  counties  named,  will  see  that  this  para- 
graph is  promptly  obeyed. 

"Second.  All  grain  and  hay  in  the  field,  or  under  shelter, 
in  the  district  from  which  the  inhabitants  are  required  to 
remove  within  reach  of  military  stations,  after  the  9th  day  of 
September  next,  will  be  taken  to  such  stations  and  turned  over 
to  the  proper  officer  there,  and  report  of  the  amount  so  turned 
over  made  to  district  headquarters,  specifying  the  names  of  all 
loyal  owners  and  the  amount  of  such  produce  taken  from 
them.  All  grain  and  hay  found  in  such  district  after  the  9th 
day  of  September  next  not  convenient  to  such  stations,  will  be 
destroyed." — History  of  Caldwell  and  Livingston  Counties, 
Missouri,  1886,  p.  51 ;  Truth  Defended,  pp.  224,  225. 


86  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Josiah  Quincy,  the  honored  president  of  Harvard  College, 
says:  ''Polygamy,  it  must  be  remembered  formed  no  part  of 
the  alleged  revelations  upon  which  the  social  life  of  Nauvoo 
was  based;  indeed,  the  recorded  precepts  of  its  prophet  were 
entirely  opposed  to  such  practice,  and  it  is  at  least  doubtful 
whether  this  barbarism  was  in  any  way  sanctioned  by  him." — 
Figures  of  the  Past. 

MESSAGE  OF  THE  GOVERNOR  OF  THE  STATE  OF 

ILLINOIS  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  DISTURBANCES 

IN  HANCOCK  COUNTY,  DECEMBER  23,  1844. 

"Justice  however  requires  me  here  to  say,  that  I  have  in- 
vestigated the  charge  of  promiscuous  stealing  and  find  it  to 
be  greatly  exaggerated.  I  could  not  ascertain  that  there  were 
a  greater  proportion  of  thieves  in  that  community  than  any 
other  of  the  same  number  of  inhabitants;  and  perhaps  if  the 
city  of  Nauvoo  were  compared  with  Saint  Louis  or  any  other 
western  city  the  proportion  would  not  be  so  great.  ...  I  have 
reason  to  believe,  too,  that  the  report  of  an  alliance  with  the 
Indians  was  a  groundless  calumny." — Page  7. 

"A  system  of  excitement  and  agitation  was  artfully  planned 
and  executed  with  tact.  It  consisted  in  spreading  reports  and 
rumors  of  the  most  fearful  character.  As  example:  On  the 
morning  before  my  arrival  at  Carthage  I  was  awakened  at  an 
early  hour  by  the  frightful  report,  which  was  asserted  with 
apparent  confidence  and  apparent  consternation,  that  the  Mor- 
mons had  already  commenced  the  work  of  burning,  destruc- 
tion, and  murder,  and  that  every  man  capable  of  bearing  arms 
was  instantly  wanted  at  Carthage  for  the  protection  of  the 
county.  We  lost  no  time  starting,  but  when  we  arrived  at 
Carthage  we  could  hear  no  more  concerning  the  story.  .  .  . 
No  such  forces  were  sent,  nor  were  any  such  offenses  com- 
mitted at  that  time,  except  the  stealing  of  some  provisions, 
and  there  was  never  the  least  proof  that  this  was  done  by  a 
Mormon." — Ibid.,  p.  8. 

"On  the  23d  or  24th  day  of  June,  Joseph  Smith,  the  mayor 
of  Nauvoo,  together  with  his  brother  Hyrum,  and  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  council,  and  all  others  demanded,  came  into  Car- 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  87 

thage  and  surrendered  themselves  prisoners  to  the  constable 
on  the  charge  of  riot.  They  all  voluntarily  entered  into  a 
recognizance  before  the  justice  of  the  peace  for  their  appear- 
ance at  court  to  answer  the  charge.  And  all  of  them  were 
discharged  from  custody  except  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith, 
against  whom  the  magistrate  had  issued  a  new  writ  on  a  com- 
plaint for  treason.  They  were  immediately  arrested  by  the 
constable  on  the  new  charge  and  retained  in  his  custody  to 
answer  it.  The  overt  act  of  treason  charged  against  them 
consisted  in  the  alleged  levying  of  war  against  the  State  by 
declaring  martial  law  in  Nauvoo,  and  in  ordering  out  the 
legion  to  resist  the  posse  comitatus.  Their  actual  guiltiness 
of  the  charge  would  depend  upon  circumstances.  If  their 
opponents  had  been  seeking  to  put  the  law  in  force  in  good 
faith  and  nothing  more,  then  an  array  of  a  military  force  in 
open  resistance  to  the  posse  comitatus,  and  the  militia  of  the 
State  most  probably  would  have  amounted  to  treason.  But  if 
those  opponents  merely  intended  to  use  the  process  of  the  law, 
the  militia  of  the  State  and  the  posse  comitatus  as  cats'  paws 
to  compass  the  possession  of  their  persons  for  the  purpose  of 
murdering  them  afterwards,  as  the  sequel  demonstrated  the 
fact  to  be,  it  might  well  be  doubted  whether  they  were  guilty 
of  treason." — History  of  Illinois,  Thomas  Ford,  p.  11. 

"Last  week  we '(Rustler)  stated  that  it  was  a  sad  mistake 
the  people  of  Hancock  County  made  when  they  drove  the  Mor- 
mons out  of  Nauvoo,  and  the  Quincy  Journal  comments  thus: 
'This  is  the  first  time  that  the  writer  has  ever  heard  or  known 
of  a  Nauvooite  saying  straight  out  that  the  people  of  Hancock 
County  made  a  great  mistake  when  they  drove  the  Mormons 
out,  but  we  have  long  inclined  to  the  belief  that  they  did 
indeed  make  a  mistake,  a  sad,  sad  mistake." — Quoted  from 
Saints'  Herald,  December  23,  1893. 

Hon.  Josiah  Quincy,  certainly  needs  no  formal  introduction 
to  the  public.  While  not  a  believer  in  Mormonism  in  any 
sense,  he  visited  Nauvoo  in  company  with  Hon.  Charles 
Francis  Adams,  and  took  notes  as  follows:  "It  is  by  no  means 
improbable  that  some  future  text-book  for  the  use  of  genera- 
tions vet  unborn  will  contain  a  question  something  like  this: 


88  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

What  historical  American  of  the  nineteenth  century  has  ex- 
erted the  most  powerful  influence  upon  the  destinies  of  his 
countrymen?  And  it  is  by  no  means  impossible  that  the 
answer  to  that  interrogatory  may  be  thus  written:  Joseph 
Smith,  the  Mormon  prophet.  And  the  reply,  absurd  as  it 
doubtless  seems  to  most  men  now  living,  may  be  an  obvious 
commonplace  to  their  descendants.  History  deals  in  surprises 
and  paradoxes  quite  as  startling  as  this.  The  man  who  estab- 
lished a  religion  in  this  age  of  free  debate,  who  was  and  is  to- 
day accepted  by  hundreds  of  thousands  as  a  direct  emissary 
from  the  Most  High — such  a  rare  human  being  is  not  to  be 
disposed  of  by  pelting  his  memory  with  unsavory  epithets. 
Fanatic,  impostor,  charlatan  he  may  have  been;  but  these 
hard  names  furnish  no  solution  to  the  problem  he  presents  to 
us.  Fanatics  and  impostors  are  living  and  dying  every  day, 
and  their  memory  is  buried  with  them;  but  the  wonderful 
influence  which  this  founder  of  a  religion  exerted  and  still 
exerts  throws  him  into  relief  before  us,  not  as  a  rogue  to  be 
criminated,  but  as  a  phenomenon  to  be  explained." — Figures 
of  the  Past,  pp.  376,  377. 

Jacob  Gregg,  being  duly  sworn,  testified:  "I  held  the  office 
of  sheriff  in  this  county  in  1833.  .  .  .  During  my  term  of  office 
is  when  the  Mormons  were  driven  from  Jackson  County,  Mis- 
souri. I  was  not  in  that  affair  in  any  way  (not  a  member 
of  the  church)  ...  I  did  not  have  much  communication  with 
the  Mormons  while  they  were  in  this  county.  I  took  the  census, 
and  my  impression  was  that  they  were  a  rather  law-abiding 
class  of  citizens.  I  know  I  did  not  see  anything  wrong  with 
them;  they  compared  with  other  people  here  in  the  county; 
appeared  to  be  a  law-abiding  class  of  citizens,  and  I  think 
they  were  about  as  good  and  as  intelligent  as  their  neighbors." 
—Plaintiff's  Abstract,  pp.  287,  289. 

AN  INTERVIEW  WITH   EX-GOVERNOR   DRAKE   OF 
IOWA. 

BY  ALEXANDER  M'CALLUM. 

One  day  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  1903,  I  found  myself 
seated  in  a  railway  coach  at  Centerville,  Iowa.  Some  of  UP 
had  taken  refuge  there  from  a  violent  thunderstorm.  The 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  89 

thunder  and  lightning:  were  incessant.  The  windows  were  all 
closed  and  the  air  soon  became  very  oppressive,  being  heavy 
with  tobacco  smoke. 

By  and  by  I  turned  to  a  gentleman  who  was  seated  behind 
me,  smoking,  and  said,  "I  hate  to  disturb  one  who  enj'oys  a 
cigar  as  you  seem  to  enjoy  that;  but  is  not  that  smoke  getting 
pretty  thick  in  here?" 

He  laughed  and  said:  "I  don't  know,  those  ladies  seem  to 
enjoy  it,"  glancing  at  the  ladies  of  the  party,  who  were  fan- 
ning themselves  and  gasping  for  breath.  However,  he  went 
to  the  door  and  threw  away  his  cigar  and  came  and  sat  down 
by  my  side. 

We  engaged  in  conversation  and  I  learned  that  he  was  Ex- 
Governor  Drake.  I  told  him  that  Latter  Day  Saints  were 
much  opposed  to  the  use  of  tobacco.  Our  talk  drifted  to  church 
matters  and  I  told  him  that  I  married  into  the  "notorious" 
Smith  family. 

"Joseph  Smith,"  said  he,  "of  Lamoni,  Iowa?  I  know  him 
well.  He  is  a  fine  man.  I  knew  his  father  and  mother.  We 
lived  neighbors  to  them.  They  were  nice  people  in  every  way, 
as  was  Hyrum  Smith,  also,  whom  I  knew  well.  Joseph  Smith 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  introduction  of  polygamy;  that  was 
done  by  Brigham  Young,  long  years  after  Joseph  died.  The 
only  thing  that  we  ever  thought  Joseph  did  wrong  in  was  in 
claiming  to  be  a  prophet." 

This  opinion  is  no  more  true  than  if  it  had  been  uttered  by 
any  other  man;  but  it  has  more  weight  coming  from  one  so 
universally  loved  and  respected  as  was  Ex-Governor  Drake. 

INDEPENDENCE,  MISSOURI: 

— Autumn  Leaves,  pp.  4  and  5,  January,  1904. 

Letter  written  to  D.  H.  Bays,  and  published  in  the  Chris- 
tian-Evangelist, November  2,  1899:  "Dear  Sir:  Yours  of 
August  9  has  been  duly  received.  My  statement,  that  you  did 
not  know  what  the  Spalding  theory  involved,  was  made  be- 
cause your  book  indicates  nothing  to  show  that  you  ever  heard 
of  Spalding  having  written  three  manuscripts;  the  first  of 
which  simply  outlined  the  story  and  is  the  one  now  in  Oberlin. 
The  second  was  prepared  for  the  printer;  the  plot  of  the  story 


90  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

changed  as  to  place  from  which  Indians  came  here,  and  the 
names  changed  to  suit  the  change  in  the  plot.  This  is  the 
one  which  furnishes  the  basis  for  the  Book  of  Mormon.  .  .  . 
I  can  not  establish  these  facts  except  by  hearsay  evidence, 
which  Greenleaf  would  bar,  and  yet  I  do  not  know  of  any 
historical  fact  not  now  within  the  knowledge  of  living  wit- 
nesses that  can  be  established  by  any  but  hearsay  evidence." 
— A.  T.  Schroeder,  attorney  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

Rev.  D.  H.  Bays'  reply:  "I  very  much  regret  that  from 
a  library  covering  considerably  over  one  thousand  books  and 
pamphlets  on  the  subject  of  Mormonism,  you  are  unable  to 
furnish  me  with  a  single  fact  in  support  of  the  old,  exploded 
'Spalding  Manuscript  theory'  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  .  .  .  That  there  is  nothing  in  my  book  to  indicate 
that  I  had  ever  heard  that  Spalding  had  'written  three  manu- 
scripts', is  certainly  true,  and  for  the  obvious  reason  that  in 
that  work  I  deal  with  facts  rather  than  fancies  and  unsup- 
ported assertion.*  I  was,  at  the  time  my  book  was  written, 
fully  aware  that  such  assertions  had  repeatedly  been  made, 
but  as  I  have  never  been  able  to  obtain  the  testimony  of  a 
single  witness  in  support  of  the  claim,  I  have  unhesitatingly 
dismissed  it  as  an  idle  speculation." — Christian-Evangelist, 
November  2,  1899,  p.  1394. 

THE  OPINIONS  OF   SIXTY  PROMINENT   MINISTERS, 
JOURNALISTS,  AND  HISTORIANS  ON  PRE- 
HISTORIC CIVILIZATION  IN  AMERICA. 
—THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON  NEEDED. 

Question,  asked  by  Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt: 

"Please  favor  me  with  the  name  of  a  book,  if  you  can,  that 
will  give  an  authentic  account  of  the  peopling  of  America,  the 
builders  of  the  great  cities,  temples,  etc.,  centuries  before  the 
coming  of  Columbus,  or  occupancy  by  the  Indians,  as  proven 
by  archaeologists." 

Answers  came  as  follows: 

Rev.  G.  Campbell  Morgan,  D.  D.,  London:  "I  am  afraid  1 
can  not  help  you." 

Rev.  Newell  Dwight   Hillis,  D.   D.,  Brooklyn:      "The  best 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  91 

book  that  I  know  on  the  subject  regarding  which  you  write, 
is  McMaster's  History  of  the  People  of  the  United  States,  four 
volumes." 

The  editor  of  the  Christian  Instructor,  Philadelphia,  wrote: 
"The  best  book  we  know  of  for  your  reading  is  Andrew 
Bryce's  American  Commonwealth." 

Walter  Lemley,  editor  Zion's  Watchman,  Albany,  New 
York:  "I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  do  not  know  of  any  such 
book." 

Bishop  T.  N.  Morrison,  Episcopalian,  Davenport,  Iowa:  "I 
can  not  name  a  book  to  you  covering  the  ground." 

Bishop  C.  C.  Grafton,  Protestant  Episcopal,  wrote  from 
Baltimore:  "I  should  be  glad  to  answer  your  question  if  I 
were  able  to  do  so.  I  do  not  remember  the  name  of  a  book 
giving  the  information  you  desire." 

Rev.  J.  G.  Monfort,  editor  Herald  and  Presbyter,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio:  "The  Antiquarian  and  Oriental  Journal  is  the  highest 
authority  in  this  country  on  this  subject." 

J.  J.  Summerbell,  editor  Herald  of  Gospel  Liberty,  Dayton, 
Ohio:  "I  would  recommend  you  to  consult  a  large  cyclopedia, 
or  several,  such  as  are  found  in  public  libraries,  ...  I  am 
not  qualified  to  pronounce  on  the  reliability  of  the  various 
authors,  and  might  mislead.  Your  position  is  correct,  of  the 
civilization,  and  civilizations  long  ago." 

Rev.  J.  G.  Butler,  Lutheran,  Washington:  "I  regret  that  I 
am  not  able  to  give  you  the  information  you  desire.  I  have 
made  some  inquiry,  but  have  not  found  anyone  who  knows 
more  than  I  about  this  long  ago  history." 

The  International  Reform  Bureau,  Washington:  "We  spent 
considerable  time  trying  to  hunt  up  the  matter,  .  .  .  but 
failed." 

Rev.  J.  C.  McQuiddy,  office  editor,  Gospel  Advocate,  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee:  "De  Roo's  Prehistoric  America,  in  two 
volumes,  .  .  .  will  give  you  the  information  you  desire." 

Rev.  A.  P.  Doyle,  Catholic,  Washington,  says  De  Roo's 
works  "are  the  most  reliable." 

Rev.    L.    L.    Carpenter,    Christian,    Wabash,    Indiana:      "I 


92  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

regret  to  say  that  I  am  not  able  to  give  you  the  asked  for 
information." 

Rev.  D.  G.  Porter,  Christian,  Waterbury,  Connecticut:  "I 
doubt  very  much  whether  there  is  any  book  relating  to  the 
subject  which  can  properly  be  called  authentic." 

Rev.  T.  J.  Golighty,  Christian,  Lebanon,  Kentucky:  "The 
book  you  call  for  I  have  never  been  able  to  find  myself." 

G.  F.  Bowerman,  librarian,  Public  Library  of  the  District 
of  Columbia,  Washington:  "I  think  that  you  will  find  what 
you  need  in  volume  1  of  Winsor's  Narrative  and  Critical 
History  of  America." 

W.  E.  Huntington,  president  of  Boston  University:  "I  do 
not  feel  competent  to  answer  this  request  very  fully,  but  judge 
from  what  I  know  of  the  literature  on  such  questions  that 
Prescott's  work  on  Mexico  and  Bancroft's  large  book  on  the 
Races  of  America  would  be  as  satisfactory  as  any  you  might 
consult." 

Philip  Cowen,  publisher  American  Hebrew  and  Jewish  Mes- 
senger, New  York:  "Replying  to  your  letter  .  .  .  asking  for  a 
book  that  will  give  an  authentic  account  of  the  peopling  of 
America,  etc.,  before  the  coming  of  Columbus,  I  would  say 
that  there  is  no  one  work  which  contains  this  matter." 

B.  A.  M.  Schapiro,  Jew,  editor  The  People,  The  Land,  and 
The  Book,  New  York:  "I  think  Prescott's  works  will  give 
you  the  information  you  need." 

Prof.  I.  Friedlanender,  of  the  Jewish  Theological  Seminary 
of  America,  New  York:  "I  am  extremely  sorry  of  not  being 
able  to  give  you  the  desired  information.  I  never  made  a 
study  of  the  subject  mentioned  in  your  letter." 

Henry  G.  Talmage,  associate  editor,  Sunday  School  Times, 
Philadelphia:  "Almost  any  good  history  of  America  would 
give  the  theories  of  the  peopling  of  America  before  Columbus' 
time." 

Rev.  I.  L.  Kephart,  United  Brethren,  editor  Religious  Tele- 
scope, Dayton,  Ohio:  "Baldwin's  Ancient  America  ...  is 
the  book  you  want." 

Rev.  D.  R.  Miller,  D.  D.,  United  Brethren,  Saint  Marys, 
Ohio:  "A  satisfactory  description  of  the  people  about  whom 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  93 

you  inquire  is  not  well  established,  nor  can  we  find  a  book 
which  will  authentically  and  satisfactorily  account  for  them. 
Yet  it  is  reasonably  certain  that  there  were  approximately 
such." 

F.  L.  Piper,  editor  of  the  World's  Crisis  and  Advent  Chris- 
tian Messenger,  Boston:  "There  probably  is  no  such  book  as 
you  ask  for." 

Rev.  George  Batchelor,  editor  of  the  Christian  Register, 
Boston:  "All  the  best  work  that  is  now  done* in  history  is 
done  by  specialists,  so  that  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  name  any 
one  book  that  covers  all  the  ground  you  indicate." 

W.  W.  Prescott,  Adventist,  editor  of  the  Advent  Review 
and  Sabbath  Herald,  Washington:  "I  am  unable  to  give  you 
the  name  of  any  book  containing  the  account  of  the  original 
peopling  of  America." 

M.  C.  Wilcox,  Adventist,  editor  of  the  Signs  of  the  Times, 
Mountain  View,  California:  "I  know  of  no  such  book  which 
gives  any  authentic  account.  The  only  records  which  we  have 
at  all  are  what  have  been  left  in  the  ruined  temples  and 
hieroglyphics  of  that  people.  Probably  the  Mexicans  and 
Peruvians  were  their  descendants,  but  they  have  left  us  no  au- 
thentic account.  But  no  one  has  yet  been  able  to  decipher  the 
inscriptions  on  the  monuments  so  as  to  get  from  them  the  his- 
tory of  the  people.  Of  course,  from  the  Bible,  one  thinks  that 
they  must  have  been  descendants  of  Noah.  Remains  have  been 
found  which  would  indicate  that  they  had  some  knowledge  of 
God's  'Ten  words,'  and  the  tradition  of  the  flood  has  been 
held  by  many  of  the  later  tribes  or  aboriginal  Americans.  The 
present  tribes  of  Indians  may  some  of  them  be  descendants  of 
the  earlier  inhabitants,  greatly  degenerated." 

J.  H.  Moore,  office  editor  of  the  Gospel  Messenger,  Elgin, 
Illinois,  a  German  Baptist  Brethren  paper,  said:  "I  am  not 
able  to  give  you  the  desired  information  regarding  the  books 
treating  of  the  history  of  this  country  prior  to  the  discovery 
of  America  by  Columbus." 

Henry  Temple,  professor  of  ancient  history  in  the  Wash- 
ington and  Jefferson  College,  Presbyterian,  Washington,  Penn- 
sylvania, gave  short  accounts  of  Briton's  Chronicles  of  the 


94  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Mayas,  E.  J.  Payne's  History  of  the  .  New  World  Called 
America,  and  John  Fiske's  Discovery  of  America,  then  said: 
"These  books  represent  the  sanest  scholarship  on  this  matter 
and  are  free  from  the  wild  dreams  [which]  destroy  the  value 
of  so  many  of  the  popular  books  about  the  civilization  of 
ancient  America." 

The  following  gentlemen  sent  names  of  books  on  American 
archaeology  but  did  not  commit  themselves,  as  a  rule,  to  their 
authenticity:  Rev.  John  Alexander  Dowie,  Zion  City;  Rev. 
J.  A.  McFaul,  Catholic,  bishop  of  Trenton,  New  Jersey;  Rev. 
G.  B.  Winton,  editor  of  the  Christian  Advocate,  Nashville, 
Tennessee;  Rev.  A.  H.  Bradford,  Congregationalist,  Montclair, 
New  Jersey;  E.  B.  Ebey,  editor  of  the  Free  Methodist,  Chi- 
cago; Rev.  J.  Sheatsley,  Lutheran,  Delaware,  Ohio;  Rev.  G. 
T.  Cooperider,  editor  Lutheran  Standard,  Columbus,  Ohio; 
J.  B.  Warren,  Ph.  D.,  Presbyterian,  Milan,  Ohio;  Rev.  Louis 
Klopsch,  editor  of  the  Christian  Herald,  New  York;  Rev. 
Archibald  McLellen,  editor  of  the  Christian  Science  Journal, 
Boston;  Rev.  C.  H.  Forney,  editor  of  the  Church  Advocate, 
Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania. 

We  now  present  a  number  of  extracts  from  some  of  the 
historical  works  referred  to  by  the  above  named  clergymen 
and  noted  writers,  also  statements  from  journals,  etc.,  which 
show  their  own  unsettled  minds  and  diversified  theories  re- 
garding prehistoric  civilization  in  America. 

Stories  of  Pioneer  Days,  etc.,  introduction,  page  13,  W.  E. 
and  L.  V.  Chapin,  said  of  the  aboriginal  Americans:  "Whose 
antiquity  is  unknown." 

Josiah  Priest,  in  American  Antiquities,  edition  of  1838,  page 
361,  (1833  edition,  p.  373,)  says:  "But  what  has  finally  be- 
come of  these,  nations,  and  where  are  their  descendants,  are 
questions,  which,  could  they  be  answered,  would  be  highly 
gratifying." 

W.  Pidgeon,  in  his  Tradition  of  De-coo-dah  and  Antiquarian 
Researches,  edition  of  1853,  page  11,  says:  "But  it  yet  re- 
mains for  America  to  awake  her  story  f-om  sleep,  to  string 
lyre,  and  nerve  the  pen,  to  tell  the  tale  of  her  antiquities,  as 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  95 

seen  in  the  relics  of  nations,  coeval  perhaps  with  the  oldest 
works  of  man." — Palmyra  to  Independence,  p.  3. 

The  Christian  Herald,  New  York,  July  8,  1903,  quoted 
Doctor  Leon,  the  eminent  archaeologist  of  the  National  Mu- 
seum, after  he  had  visited  wonderful  ruined  cities,  etc.,  of 
Mexico.  He  said:  "It  is  strange  we  should  know  nothing 
of  the  existence  of  a  people  so  highly  civilized  as  to  erect 
such  edifices." 

Marquis  de  Nadaillac,  in  Prehistoric  America,  page  395, 
says:  "Everything  proves  the  power  and  wealth  of  a  peo- 
ple the  very  name  of  whom  has  remained  uncertain." 

Again:  "At  every  turn  South  America  presents  vestiges 
of  a  vanished  race,  of  a  culture  now  lost;  and  we  are  al- 
ways compelled  to  one  conclusion  as  to  our  absolute  power- 
lessness  to  decide  on  the  origin  or  cause  of  the  decadence  of 
these  races,  now  represented  by  a  few  miserable  savages  with- 
out a  past,  as  without  a  future." — Presidency  and  Priesthood, 
pp.  270,  271. 

Prof.  John  L.  Stephens,  in.  Travels  in  Central  America,  etc., 
volume  2,  page  356,  said:  "What  we  had  before  our  eyes  was 
grand,  curious,  and  remarkable  enough.  Here  were  the  re- 
mains of  a  cultivated,  polished,  and  peculiar  people,  who  had 
passed  through  all  the  stages  incident  to  the  rise  and  fall  of 
nations,  reached  their  golden  age,  and  perished  entirely  un- 
known. The  links  that  connected  them  with  the  human  family 
were  severed  and  lost,  and  these  were  the  only  memorials  of 
their  footsteps  upon  earth.  We  lived  in  the  ruined  palace  of 
their  kings;  we  went  up  to  their  desolate  temples  and  fallen 
altars;  and  wherever  we  moved  we  saw  the  evidence  of  their 
taste,  their  skill  in  arts,  their  wealth  and  power." 

H.  H.  Bancroft,  Native  Races  of  the  Pacific  States,  Tolume 
5,  page  146,  says:  "Stephens'  account  has  been  the  chief 
source  from  which  all  subsequent  writers,  including  myself, 
have  drawn  their  information." — Lectures  by  H.  A.  Stebbins, 
p.  71. 

John  Ranking,  in  Historical  Researches  on  the  Conquest  of 
Peru,  Mexico,  etc.,  speaking  of  the  origin  of  the  native  races, 
page  290,  said:  "Clavijero  acknowledges,  that  the  more  he 


96  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

endeavors  to  elucidate  these  questions,  the  more  he  is  puzzled 
and  reduced  to  despair." — Zion's  Ensign,  vol.  16,  p.  5. 

S.  B.  Evans,  in  Chicago  Times,  1881,  says:  "There  have 
been  at  least  two  civilizations  that  have  lived  and  dwindled 
away  on  the  continent  prior  to  the  Aztecs  or  Toltecs,  of 
Mexico;  the  last  of  which  must  have  ceased  to  exist  at  least 
from  a  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  years  ago,  and  occupied 
the  time  of  at  least  one  thousand  years  of  civilization  here." — 
Parsons'  Text  Book,  p.  13. 

Peru,  by  Markham,  page  68,  says:  "These  marvelous  ruins 
point  to  the  former  existence  of  a  large  population,  and  to  the 
guiding  hand  of  some  powerful  sovereign;  but  their  history 
is  entirely  lost  in  remote  antiquity." — Committee's  Report, 
p.  26. 

Professor  Le  Plongeon,  in  Sacred  Mysteries,  page  70,  says: 
"Anciently,  this  country  [Yucatan]  now  well-nigh  depopu- 
lated, was  thickly  peopled  by  a  highly  civilized  nation.  If  we 
are  to  judge  by  the  great  number  of  large  cities  whose  ruins 
exist,  scattered  in  the  midst  of  the  forests  throughout  the 
country,  and  by  the  stupendous  edifices,  once  upon  a  time 
temples  of  the  gods;  or  palaces  of  the  kings  and  priests,  whose 
walls  are  covered  with  inscriptions,  bas-reliefs,  and  other 
interesting  sculptures  that  equal  in  beauty  of  design  and 
masterly  execution,  those  of  Egypt  and  Babylon." — Parsons' 
Text  Book,  pp.  3,  4. 

Prescott,  volume  1,  pages  12  and  13,  speaking  of  the  yarious 
races  of  ancient  America,  and  more  particularly  of  the  west 
central  part  of  South  America:  "Who  this  race  were,  and 
whence  they  came,  may  afford  a  tempting  theme  for  inquiry 
to  the  speculative  antiquarian.  But  it  is  a  land  of  darkness 
that  lies  far  beyond  the  domain  of  history." — Committee's 
Report,  p.  20. 

Professor  Baldwin  in  his  work  issued  in  1871,  says  in  its 
preface:  "The  purpose  of  this  volume  is  to  give  a  summary 
of  what  is  known  of  American  antiquities.  .  .  .  Many  of  the 
more  important  of  these  works  are  either  in  French  or  Span- 
ish, or  in  great  English  quartos  and  folios  .  .  .  and  not  one 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  97 

of  them  attempts  to  give  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  whole 
subject." 

Doctor  George  L.  Cole,  archaeologist,  writing  to  the  Epivorth 
Herald,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  paper,  December  3,  1904,  said 
of  the  "home  of  primitive  man"  in  Colorado  and  New  Mexico, 
after  giving  account  of  several  great  stone  buildings:  "Un- 
covering forty  or  fifty  rooms  in  different  portions  of  the 
great  building,  we  were  able  to  gather  much  as  to  the  life, 
habits,  and  customs  of  the  strange  people  who  once  dwelt 
here,  but  whose  history  is  otherwise  unwritten  and  unknown." 

Reverend  Doctor  Baum,  president  of  the  Records  of  the 
Past  Exploration  Society,  Washington,  is  reported  in  the 
Denver  Post,  1904,  on  the  great  prehistoric  people  of  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  United  States.  Of  their  buildings 
he  said:  "They  vary  from  two-room  dwellings  to  structures 
containing  over  two  thousand  rooms." 

Of  the  people  he  said:  "I  believe  this  region  maintained  a 
population  of  over  ten  millions  of  people.  The  time  and  the 
cause  of  their  disappearance  is  the  problem  we  are  trying  to 
solve." 

The  Gospel  Messenger,  representing  the  German  Baptist 
Brethren  Church,  (Dunkard,)  Elgin,  Illinois,  January  10, 
1903,  said  editorially:  "Most  of  our  readers  have  wondered 
where  the  American  Indians  came  from.  Then  they  have  puz- 
zled themselves  about  the  Mound  Builders,  and  still  more  about 
the  intelligent  races  that  built  great  cities  in  Mexico  and  Cen- 
tral America  long  before  the  time  of  Columbus.  Many  books 
have  been  written  on  these  subjects,  and  still  the  learned 
world  is  searching  for  more  light." 

Again,  quoting  Professor  E.  Seler,  of  Berlin,  the  Messenger 
said:  "Where  the  various  prehistoric  peoples  originally  came 
from,  no  one  knows.  I  do  not  think  that  they  came  from 
Asia  in  comparatively  recent  times.  Man  is  very  old  in 
America,  I  think;  perhaps  he  antedates  the  glacial  period." 

Dellenbaugh,  in  North  America  of  Yesterday,  1901,  page 
428,  said:  "The  manner  in  which  America  was  originally 
peopled  has  been  the  cause  of  considerable  speculation.  .  .  . 
It  is  my  belief  that  all  the  tribes  of  the  northwest  migrated 


98  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

there  from  the  south  and  southeast,  and  not  within  recent 
geological  time  from  the  Asiatic  direction." — Zion's  Ensign, 
March  9,  1905. 

Encyclopedia  Britannica,  volume  1,  1878,  article  "America": 
"If  we  consider  every  little  "wandering  horde  a  distinct  com- 
munity, we  have  a  greater  number  of  nations  here  than  in  all 
the  rest  of  the  world.  .  .  .  We  think  we  perceive  them  all  to 
be  descended  from  the  same  stock,  notwithstanding  the  prodi- 
gious diversity  of  their  languages." — Zion's  Ensign,  vol.  16, 
no.  11. 

Doctor  West,  of  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts,  relates  that  an 
old  Indian  informed  him  that  his  fathers  in  this  country  had 
not  long  since  been  in  the  possession  of  a  book,  which  they 
had  for  a  long  time  carried  with  them,  but  having  lost  the 
knowledge  of  reading  it  they  buried  it  with  an  Indian  chief." 
—Views  of  the  Hebrews,  p.  223,  quoted  from  Josiah  Priest 
Autobiography  of  America,  p.  67. 

C.  J.  HUNT. 

DELOIT,  IOWA. 

— Saints'  Herald,  August  30,  1905. 

SOME  OBJECTIONS  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

CONSIDERED  IN  THE  LIGHT  OF  HISTORICAL  AND  SCIENTIFIC  FACTS. 

"Of  the  rivers  of  Arabia,  none  are  navigable;  few  are 
perennial  or  reach  the  sea.  Some  such,  however,  have  been 
marked  ...  by  the  travelers,  Wellsted  and  W.  B.  Harris. 
Glaser  .  .  .  would  identify  the  Wady  Humd,  first  traced  by 
Doughty,  which  traverses  the  Hijas  and  flows  into  the  Red 
Sea."— Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  vol.  1,  p.  132.  The  New  Inter- 
national Encyclopedia  says:  "The  Wadj  Rumen  is  the  long- 
est river,  traversing  under  different  names  the  entire  country 
from  west  to  east." — Volume  1,  p.  691. 

"  'Arabia  Felix' — the  southern  coast, — Hadramanta — here 
are  found  all  the  fruits  of  temperate  and  warm  climates, 
among  which  the  date,  the  fruit  of  the  palm  tree,  is  the  most 
common,  and  is,  along  with  species  of  grain  called  dhourra, 
the  staple  article  of  food." — Encyclopedia  Biblical  Literature, 
vol.  1,  p.  180. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  99 

"Among  the  minerals  of  Arabia,  may  be  mentioned  iron, 
copper,  lead,  coal,  basalt,  and  asphaltum." — International 
Cyclopedia,  vol.  1,  article  "Arabia,"  p.  692. 

EVIDENCING  A  KNOWLEDGE  OF  BURIED  RECORDS. 

"The  Ojibway  Indians,  relates  Mr.  Copway,  had  three  de- 
positories for  sacred  records  near  the  waters  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior. Ten  of  the  wisest  and  most  venerable  men  of  the  nation 
dwelt  near  these  and  were  appointed  guardians  over  them. 
Fifteen  years  intervened  between  the  opening  of  these  records. 
If  any  vacancies  had  been  caused  by  death,  others  were  chosen 
in  the  spring  of  the  year;  and  in  the  month  of  August  these 
were  called  to  witness  the  ceremony.  As  they  were  opened, 
all  the  information  respecting  them  was  given.  After  this, 
the  plates  were  closely  examined,  and  if  any  had  begun  to 
decay,  they  were  taken  out,  an  exact  copy  was  made  and 
placed  in  its  stead.  The  old  one  was  divided  equally  among 
the  wise  men.  It  was  very  highly  valued  for  being  deposited; 
every  fiber  was  sacred,  and  was  considered  capable  of  en- 
dowing the  possessor  with  wisdom.  These  records  were  writ- 
ten on  slate  rock,  copper,  lead,  and  the  bark  of  birch  trees. 
It  is  claimed  they  contain  the  transcript  of  what  the  Great 
Spirit  gave  the  Indian  after  the  flood,  which  has  been  trans- 
mitted by  the  hands  of  wise  men  to  other  parts  of  the  country 
ever  since.  There  is  a  code  of  moral  laws  which  the  Indian 
calls  a  'path  made  by  the  Great  Spirit.'  They  believe  a  long 
life  will  result  from  obedience  thereto.  The  records  contain 
certain  emblems,  which  transmit  the  ancient  form  of  worship, 
and  the  rules  for  the  dedication  to  the  four  spirits  who 
alone  are  to  expound  them.  In  them  are  represented  how 
men  lived  before  death  entered  the  world;  and  the  path  he 
then  followed  marked  out  an  example  for  those  of  the  present 
time." — Prehistoric  America,  by  Rev.  S.  B.  Peet,  vol.  1,  p.  244. 

SIDNEY  RIGDON'S  WHEREABOUTS  DESIGNATED. 

November  2,  1826:  Solemnized  a  marriage  contract  be- 
tween John  G.  Smith  and  Julia  Giles,  in  Geauga  County, 
Ohio.  December  13,  1826,  returns  and  record  of  marriage. 


100  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

January,  1827:     Held  public  meetings  in  Mantua,  Ohio. 

Hayden's  History  of  the  Disciples  of  the  Western   Reserve, 
p.  237. 

February,  1827:  Preached  funeral  discourse  of  Hannah 
Tanner,  Chester,  Ohio. 

March,  April,  1827:  Held  protracted  meetings  in  Mentor, 
Ohio,  baptizing  Nancy  M.  Sanford,  William  Dunsen  and  wife 
and  others. 

June  5,  1827:  Solemnized  marriage  between  Theron  Free- 
man and  Elizabeth  Waterman,  Geauga  County,  Ohio. 

June  15,  1827:  Baptized  Thomas  Clapp-  and  others,  Men- 
tor, Ohio. 

July  3,  1827:  Solemnized  marriage  between  James  Gray 
and  Mary  Kerr,  Mentor,  Ohio. 

July  19,  1827:  Solemnized  marriage  between  Alden  Snow 
and  Ruth  Parker,  Kirtland,  Ohio. 

August  23,  1827 :  Meeting  with  the  Ministerial  Association, 
New  Lisbon,  Ohio. — History  of  the  Disciples,  pp.  55,  57. 

October  9,  1827 :  Solemnized  marriage  of  Stephen  Sherman 
and  Wealthy  Matthews,  Mentor,  Ohio. 

October  20,  1827:  Ministerial  Council  at  Warren,  Ohio.— 
History  of  the  Disciples,  p.  137. 

November,  1827:  Preaching  at  New  Lisbon,  Ohio. — History 
of  the  Disciples,  pp.  72-75. 

December  6,  1827:  Solemnized  marriage  of  Oliver  Wait 
and  Eliza  Gunn,  at  Concord,  Geauga  County,  Ohio. 

December  13,  1827:  Solemnized  marriage  of  Roswell  D. 
Cottrel  and  Matilda  Olds,  Concord, 'Ohio. 

January  8,  1828:  Return  of  marriage  made  at  Chardon, 
Ohio. 

February  14,  1828:  Solemnized  marriage  between  Otis 
Herrington  and  Lyma  Corning,  Mentor,  Ohio. 

March,  1828:  Instructing  class  in  theology,  in  Mentor, 
Ohio,  Zebulon  Rudolph  being  a  member.  Also  held  great 
religious  meetings  in  Mentor  and  Warren,  Ohio. — History  of 
the  Disciples,  p.  198. 

March  31,  1828:     Returns  made  to  Chardon,  Ohio. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  101 

April,  1828:  Holds  great  religious  revival  at  Kirtland, 
Ohio. — History  of  the  Disciples,  p.  194. 

May,  1828:  Meets  Campbell  at  Shalersville,  Ohio,  and 
holds  protracted  meetings. — History  of  the  Disciples,  p.  155. 

June,  1828:     Baptized  Henry  H.  Clapp,  Mentor,  Ohio. 

August,  1828:  Attended  great  yearly  association  at  War- 
ren, Ohio. 

September,  1828:  Solemnized  marriage  between  Luther 
Dille  and  Clarissa  Kent. 

September  18,  1828:  Solemnized  marriage  between  Na- 
Chore  Corning  and  Phoebe  E.  Wilson,  Mentor,  Ohio. 

October  13,  1828:     Returns  made  to  Chardon,  Ohio. 

January  1,  1829:  Solemnized  marriage  between  Albert 
Churchill  and  Anna  Fosdick,  Concord,  Ohio. 

February  1,  1829:  Solemnized  marriage  between  Erastus 
Root  and  Rebecca  Tuttle. 

February  12,  1829 :     Returns  made  to  Chardon,  Ohio. 

March,    1829 :      Protracted   meeting   at   Mentor,    Ohio. 

April  12,  1829 :     Protracted  meeting  at  Kirtland,  Ohio. 

July  1,  1829:  Organized  church  at  Perry,  Ohio. — History 
of  the  Disciples,  p.  346. 

August  13,  1829:  Solemnized  marriage  between  John 
Strong  and  Ann  Eliza  Moore,  Kirtland,  Ohio. 

September  14,  1829 :  Solemnized  marriage  between  Darwin 
Atwater  and  Harriet  Clapp,  Mentor,  Ohio. 

September,  1829:  Meeting  at  Mentor,  Ohio;  baptized  J.  J. 
Moss,  Disciple  minister  of  note. 

October  1,  1829:  Solemnized  marriage  between  Joel  Rob- 
erts and  Relief  Bates,  Perry,  Ohio. 

October,  1829:  At  Perry,  Ohio.— History  of  the  Disciples, 
pp.  207-409. 

November,  1829:  Wait  Hill,  Ohio;  baptized  Alvin  Wait. 
—History  of  the  Disciples,  pp.  204-207. 

December  31,  1829:  Solemnized  marriage  between  David 
Cloudier  and  Polly  Johnson,  Chagrin,  Ohio. 

January  12,  1830:     Returns  to  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

March,  1830:     Mentor,  Ohio. 


102  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

June  1  to  30,  1830:  Mentor,  Ohio. — Millennial  Harbinger, 
p.  389. 

July,  1830:  Protracted  meeting  at  Pleasant  Valley,  Ohio; 
baptized  forty-five. 

August,  1830:  With  Alexander  Campbell  at  Austintown, 
Ohio.— History  of  the  Disciples,  p.  209. 

November  4,  1830:  Solemnized  marriage  between  Lewis 
B.  Wood  and  Laura  Cleveland,  Kirtland,  Ohio. 

December,  1830:  Was  converted  to  the  faith  of  and  united 
with  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints  under 
the  preaching  of  P.  P.  Pratt  and  Oliver  Cowdery. 

The  State  of  Ohio,  Geauga  County,  ss.  (probate  court)  : 
I,  H.  K.  Smith,  judge  of  the  probate  court  in  and  for  said 
county,  hereby  certify  that  the  above  and  foregoing  certifi- 
cates, numbering  from  one  to  sixteen,  were  truly  taken  and 
copied  from  the  record  of  marriages  in  this  county,  preserved 
in  this  office,  where  the  same  by  law  are  required  to  be 
kept.  In  testimony  whereof  I  have  set  my  hand  and  affixed 
the  seal  of  said  court  at  Chardon,  this  27th  day  of  April, 
A.  D.,  1891.  (Signed)  H.  K.  SMITH, 

[SEAL]  Probate  Judge. 

In  the  probate  court,  State  of  Ohio,  Cuyahoga  County,  ss. 
I,  Henry  C.  White,  judge  of  said  court,  do  hereby  certify 
that  the  foregoing  is  a  true  and  correct  transcript  taken  from 
the  marriage  records  in  this  office,  where  the  same  is  by  law 
required  to  be  kept. 

(Signed)  HENRY  C. 'WHITE,  Probate  Judge. 

[Seal]  BY  H.  A.  SCHWAB,  Dept.  Clerk. 

The  above  obtained  by  Elder  E.  L.  Kelley,  as  found  in 
Saints'  Herald,  vol.  41,  pp.  733  and  734,  November,  1894. 

FACTS  GATHERED  BY  ELDER  J.  F.  MINTUN;  AS 

FOUND  IN  A  TRACT  ON  THE  BOOK 

OF  MORMON. 

The  wife  of  Rev.  Solomon  Spalding  wrote  in  1839,  as 
printed  in  the  Boston  Recorder: 

"In  the  town  of  New  Salem  (sometimes  called  Conneaut) 
were  numerous  mounds  and  forts. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  103 

"Mr.  Spalding  .  .  .  conceived  the  idea  of  giving  an 
historical  sketch  of  this  long  lost  race.  His  sole  object  in 
writing  this  historical  romance  was  to  amuse  himself  and 
neighbors.  This  was  in  1812. 

"From  New  Salem  we  removed  to  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania. 
Here  Mr.  Spalding  found  an  acquaintance  and  friend  in  the 
person  of  Mr.  Patterson,  v/ho  .  .  .  borrowed  it  for  perusal. 

"At  length  the  manuscript  was  returned  to  the  author  .  .  . 
Mr.  Spalding,  deceased,  in  1816.  The  manuscript  fell  into 
my  hands  and  was  carefully  preserved. 

"The  excitement  in  New  Salem  became  so  great  that  the 
inhabitants  had  a  meeting  and  deputed  Dr.  Philastus 
Hurlbut  ...  to  obtain  from  me  the  original  manuscript  of 
Mr.  Spalding.  .  .  .  This  was  in  1834." 

Mrs.  M.  S.  McKinstry,  daughter  of  Reverend  Spalding, 
wrote  April  3,  1880,  as  printed  in  Scribner's  Magazine, 
August,  1880.  From  this  article  I  extract: 

"During  the  war  of  1812  I  was  residing  in  a  little  town 
in  Ohio  called  Conneaut.  .  .  .  There  were  some  round  mounds 
of  earth  near  our  house  which  greatly  interested  him  (Mr. 
Spalding) ....  He  talked  with  my  mother  of  these  discoveries 
in  the  mounds,  and  was  writing  every  day  as  the  work 
progressed.  Afterwards  he  read  the  manuscript  which  I  had 
seen  him  writing,  to  the  neighbors. 

"We  removed  from  Conneaut  to  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania. 

"In  1816  my  father  died  at  Amity,  Pennsylvania,  and 
directly  after  his  death  my  mother  and  myself  went  on  a  visit 
to  Onondaga  Valley,  New  York.  .  .  .  We  carried  all  our  per- 
sonal effects  with  us,  and  one  of  these  was  an  old  trunk  in 
which  my  mother  had  placed  all  my  father's  writings  which 
had  been  preserved.  .  .  .  There  were  sermons  and  other 
papers,  and  I  saw  a  manuscript  about  an  inch  thick  closely 
written.  .  .  .  On  the  outside  of  this  manuscript  was  written 
the  words  Manuscript  Found.  ...  I  was  about  eleven  years  of 
age  at  this  time. 

"In  1820  she  (Mrs.  Spalding)  married  Mr.  Davison  of 
Hartwick's,  a  village  near  Cooperstown,  New  York,  and  sent 
for  the  things  she  had  left  at  Onondaga  Valley,  and  I  re- 


104  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

member   that   the   old   trunk   with   its   contents   reached   her 
in  safety. 

"I  believe  it  was  in  1834  that  a  man  named  Hurlbut  came 
to  my  house  at  Monson,  Massachusetts,  to  see  my  mother,  who 
told  us  that  he  had  been  sent  by  a  committee  to  procure  the 
'Manuscript  Found,'  written  by  the  Rev.  Solomon  Spalding, 
so  as  to  compare  it  with  the  Mormon  Bible.  .  .  .  On  the 
repeated  promise  of  Hurlbut  to  return  the  manuscript  to  us, 
she  gave  him  a  letter  to  Mr.  Clark  to  open  the  trunk  and 
deliver  it  to  him.  We  afterward  heard  that  he  did  receive 
it  from  Mr.  Clark  at  Hartwick's,  but  from  that  time  we 
have  never  had  it  in  our  possession,  and  have  no  present 
knowledge  of  its  existence." 

I  have  now  traced  the  existence  of  the  manuscript  that 
has  been  made  to  do  service  in  opposing  the  claims  for 
the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  from  the  time  it  was 
written  in  1812  to  1834,  when  Hurlbut  obtained  it. 

Mr.  D.  P.  Hurlbut  wrote  August  19,  1879,  from  which  I 
extract : 

"I  visited  Mrs.  Matilda  (Spalding)  Davison  at  Monson, 
Massachusetts,  in  1834,  and  never  saw  her  afterwards.  I 
then  received  from  her  a  manuscript  of  her  husband's,  which 
I  did  not  read,  but  brought  home  with  me,  and  immediately 
gave  to  Mr.  E.  D.  Howe,  of  Painesville,  Ohio,  who  was  then 
engaged  in  preparing  his  book  Mormonism  Unveiled."- 
Braden-Kelley  Debate,  p.  91. 

Mr.  E.  D.  Howe  wrote,  July  26,  1881,  to  Apostle  T.  W. 
Smith,  in  which  letter  is  the  following: 

"The  manuscript  that  came  into  my  possession  I  sus- 
pect was  destroyed  by  fire  forty  years  ago." — Saints'  Herald, 
vol.  28,  p.  269. 

Mr.  L.  L.  Rice  wrote  from  Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands, 
March  28,  1885,  to  Joseph  Smith,  from  which  I  extract: 

"The  Spalding  Manuscript  in  my  possession  came  into  my 
hands  in  this  wise.  In  1839-1840  my  partner  and  myself 
bought  of  E.  D.  Howe  the  Painesville  Telegraph,  published 
at  Painesville,  Ohio.  The  transfer  of  the  printing  depart- 
ment, types,  press,  etc.,  was  accompanied  with  a  large  col- 


PARSONS'. TEXT   BOOK  105 

lection  of  books,  manuscripts,  etc.,  this  manuscript  of  Spal- 
ding's  among  the  rest.  So,  you  see,  it  has  been  in  my  pos- 
session over  forty  years." — Church  History,  vol.  4,  p.  471. 

SPALDING'S  ROMANCE  FOUND. 

"The  theory  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  the 
traditional  manuscript  of  Solomon  Spalding  will  probably 
have  to  be  relinquished.  That  manuscript  is  doubtless  now 
in  the  possession  of  Mr.  L.  L.  Rice,  of  Honolulu,  Hawaiian 
Islands.  ...  It  was  enveloped  in  a  coarse  piece  of  wrapping 
paper,  and  was  indorsed  in  Mr.  Rice's  handwriting,  "A 
manuscript  story."  There  seems  no  reason  to  doubt  that 
this  is  the  long  lost  story.  Mr.  Rice,  myself  and  others 
compared  it  with  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  could  detect 
no  resemblance  between  the  two,  in  general  or  in  detail. 
There  seems  to  be  no  name  or  incident  common  to  the  two. 
.  .  .  Some  other  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  must  be  found,  if  any  explanation  is  required. 

"JAMES  H.  FAIRCHILD." 
—Ibid.,  pp.  470,  471. 

"HONOLULU,  SANDWICH  ISLANDS,  May  14,  1885. 
"MR.  JOSEPH  SMITH: 

"Dear  Sir:  .  .  .  Two  things  are  true  concerning  this  manu- 
script in  my  possession — first,  it  is  a  genuine  writing  of  Solo- 
mon Spalding;  and  second,  it  is  not  the  original  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  "Very  respectfully  yours, 

"L.   L.  RICE." 
—Ibid.,  p.  473. 

Davis  H.  Bays  says:  "The  usual  debater  undertakes  to 
trace  the  Book  of  Mormon  to  the  Spalding  romance  through 
Sidney  Rigdon.  Nothing  can  be  more  erroneous,  and  it  will 
lead  to  almost  certain  defeat.  The  well-informed  advocate 
of  Mormonism  wants  no  better  amusement  than  to  vanquish 
an  opponent  in  discussion  who  takes  this  ground.  The  facts 
are  all  opposed  to  this  view,  and  the  defenders  of  the  Mor- 
mon dogma  have  the  facts  well  in  hand.  I  speak  from  ex- 
perience."—Page  22.  Quoted  from  The  Truth  Defended,  p.  39. 


106  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Saint  Louis  Christian  Publishing  Company,  1897,  has  this 
to  say  on  Bays'  book,  Doctrine  and  Dogmas  of  Mormonism: 
"The  subject  is  given  a  thorough  treatment  by  one  well  versed 
in  Mormonism.  The  author's  knowledge  of  the  teaching,  doc- 
trines and  dogmas  of  the  Mormon  church  was  obtained  by  a 
close  relationship  with  all  the  prominent  leaders  of  that 
faith.  It  is  certainly  a  book  of  reference,  accurate  and  relia- 
ble. Every  important  question  pertaining  to  the  peculiarities 
of  the  Mormons  is  discussed  and  answered  from  a  biblical 
and  philosophical  standpoint.  The  author  does  not  use  ridi- 
cule or  burlesque  to  supply  the  place  of  logic  and  argument. 
He  meets  every  question  with  painstaking  arguments,  showing 
great  familiarity  with  the  fundamental  principles  relied  on 
by  Mormons  to  sustain  their  doctrines.  A  careful  study  of 
this  work  will  convince  the  reader  that  the  author  has  com- 
pletely examined  and  refuted  the  'doctrines  and  dogmas  of 
Mormonism.'  " — Introductory  of  the  Truth  Defended,  by  Elder 
Heman  C.  Smith. 

WOE  TO  THE  LAND  SHADOWING  WITH  WINGS. 

A   WORD   IN   A   FIT   PLACE. 

A  copy  of  the  Armory,  published  at  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
by  H.  L.  Hastings,  for  August,  has  been  sent  us  by  some 
friend  of  the  cause.  In  it  is  an  article  from  Israel's  Messiah, 
entitled,  "A  refuge  for  persecuted  Jews."  From  this  article 
we  quote  the  following: 

"Rabbi  Isaac  Leeser,  of  Philadelphia,  the  translator  of  the 
Hebrew  Bible,  says  that  the  prophecy  in  the  eighteenth  chap- 
ter of  the  Prophet  Isaiah,  'Ho!  to  the  land  with  spreading 
wings,  which  is  beyond  the  rivers  of  Cush,  that  sendeth  on 
the  sea  embassadors,  and  in  vessels  of  gomeh  messengers  over 
the  face  of  the  waters,'  is  a  prophecy  relating  to  America. 
Standing  where  the  prophet  stood,  and  looking  'beyond  the 
rivers  of  Cush,'  or  Ethiopia,  the  first  land  we  strike  is  the 
Western  World.  And  this  land, — the  very  name  of  which  was 
then  unknown, — with  its  emblem,  the  eagle  with  'spreading 
wings,'  whose  embassadors  are  all  sent  by  sea,  in  the  swift- 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  107 

est  ships,  has  opened  to  the  sons  of  Israei  such  a  refuge 
as  no  other  land  afforded  for  seventeen  hundred  years.  Into 
this  land  the  teeming  multitudes  of  earth  have  poured  at  a 
rate  unexampled  in  history;  and  in  this  land  was  first  enun- 
ciated the  grand  doctrine  that  all  men  were  created  free 
and  equal;  and  that  Jews  as  well  as  Gentiles  had  'a  right 
to  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.'  Some  other 
nations  have  since  ceased  to  persecute  the  Jews,  but  the 
statute  books  of  the  United  States  of  America  have  never 
been  stained  with  laws  against  the  exiled  sons  of  Israel;  and 
here  for  the  first  time  since  their  dispersion,  was  an  asy- 
lum opened  where  the  Jewish  wanderer  could  find  rest,  justice, 
and  right." — International  Cyclopedia. 

"Ethiopia,  the  biblical  Kush.  Originally,  all  the  nations 
inhabiting  the  southern  part  of  the  globe,  as  known  to  the 
ancients;  or  rather,  all  men  of  dark-brown  or  black  color, 
were  called  Ethiopians.  Later  this  name  was  given  more 
particularly  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  countries  south  of 
Libya  (see  gen.  hist.)  and  Egypt,  or  the  upper  Nile,  extend- 
ing from  10  to  25  degrees  north  latitude,  45  to  58  degrees 
east  longitude — the  present  Nubia,  Sennaar,  Kordofan,  Abys- 
sinia."— Quoted  from  the  Saints'  Herald  for  July  9,  1902,  vol. 
49,  pp.  679,  680.  From  the  article  of  Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt. 

FACTS     I    GATHERED    MYSELF,   IN   CONFIRMATION 
OF    THE    BOOK    OF    MORMON    BEING    TRUE. 

"The  wisdom  of  their  wise  men  shall  perish." — Isaiah  29:  14. 

A    PARADIGM    OF    MODERN    AND   ANCIENT    WORDS. 

Book  of  Mormon,  1830.  Recent  Discoveries. 

Cumeni,  a  city    (pronounced,  Cuemani,  a  river  just  north 

ku'  men-i).  of  the  Equator. 

—Alma  26:  15. 

Naphtali,  section  of  country,  Napiare,  river. 

—2  Nephi  9:  61. 

Nephi,  man's  name. — 1  Nephi  Nechi,  a  river  almost  east  of 

1:  1.  the  isthmus. 


108  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Cumorah,  a  section  of  coun-  Coromora,  a  river,  north  part 

try,  (pronounced,  ku-mo'-  of  South  America. 

rah.)  — Mormon  3 :  3. 

Jarom,    a    man's    name. — Ja-  Jiron,  a  town. 

rom  1:  1. 

Manti,  a  man's  name. — Alma  Manati,  a  city  in  the  north 

1:  78.  part  of  South  America. 

Moroni,     a     man's     name. —  Moreno,  a  city  in  the  Central 

Ether  1 :  82.  part   of   Colombia. 

Foregoing  information  was  taken  from  Rand  McNally  & 
Co.'s  Atlas  of  the  World,  copyrighted  in  1905. 

In  Ecuador,  we  find  the  "Morona  River"  corresponding 
with  the  name  "Moroni."  (Ether  1:  1.) 

Moroni,  as  found  in  northern  part  of  South  America. — 
Pictorial  Atlas. 

In  Venezuela,  is  found  the  word  Morni.  Rand  McNally  & 
Co.'s  Atlas,  1906. 

John  T.  Short  says  (North  American  Antiquities,  p.  438) 
that  the  translation  of  the  days  (of  Maya's)  are  equivalent 
to  the  following:  "Muluc,"  (Book  of  Mormon,  Alma  23:  32 
"Mulek";  Mosiah  11:78:  "Mulok,"  and  13:3:  "Muloki,") 
which  Mr.  Short  says  means  "reunion."  "Ben,"  which  is 
an  abbreviation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  "Benjamin"  (Omni 
1:40).  "Lamot,"  corresponding  with  "Lamoni,"  (Alma  12: 
35). 

Again  he  says  that  they  called  one  of  their  months  "Cumhu," 
almost  the  same  as  "Cumeni"  (Alma  26:  15) 
Fourteen  words,  many  of  which  are  identical  with  Book  of 

Mormon  names. 

p.  par.  B.  of  M. 

753  37 — Akish,  now  called  Ake,  Baldwin's  Ancient  America, 

p.  144. 
626  31 — Gilgal,  now  called  Galal,  Baldwin's  Ancient  America, 

p.  146. 
729  40 — Kib,  now  called  Kabah,  Baldwin's  Ancient  America, 

p.  155. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  109 

364     29 — Ishmael,    now    called    Izamal,    Baldwin's    Ancient 

America,  p.  144. 
95     13 — Nephites,  now  called   Neophites,   Bancroft,   Native 

Races,  vol.  1,  p.  450. 
627     38 — Laman,  now  called  Laman,  Universal  Geography,  E. 

Reclus,  vol.  3,  p.  283. 
510     15 — Manti,   now   called    Manti,   American   Antiquarian, 

Rev.  S.  D.  Peet,  March,  1900,  p.  129. 
525       5 — Moroni,  now  called  Moroni,  any  map   S.  A.,  Div., 

French  and  Dutch  Guiana. 
510     15 — Cumeni,   now   called   Cuemani,   any   atlas,   map   of 

Columbia. 
689     27 — David,  now  called  David,  Columbian  atlas  world,  S. 

A.  Colombia,  northwestern  part. 
81     52— Sam,  now   called   Sami,   U.   S.   Bur.   Eth.,   vol.   19, 

pp.  605,  625,  628. 

562  129 — Mulek,  now  called  Muluc,  North  Americans  of  Anti- 
quity, J.  T.  Short,  p.  438. 
714       6 — Moron,  now  called  Moron,  Bradley's  Atlas  Argentine 

Republic,  "J.  19." 
387     73 — Desolation,  now  called  Desaldo,  any  good  atlas,  Cape, 

West  Nicaragua. 

The  foregoing  is  quoted  from  an  article  by  Fred  B.  Farr 
in  Saints'  Herald. 

FACTS   GATHERED  BY  BRETHREN  MILLER  AND 
THOMAS,    OF    PITTSBURG,    PENNSYLVANIA. 

"For  the  wisdom  of  their  wise  men  shall  perish." — Isaiah 
29:  14. 

Book  of  Mormon,  1830.  Lately  Found. 

Nephites.  Neophites. 

Laman.  Laman. 

Manti.  Manti. 

Cumeni.  Cuemani. 

Moroni.  Morona,  Maroni,  Marroni. 

David.  David. 


110  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Sam.  Sami. 

Mulek.  Muluc. 

Moron.  Moron. 

Desolation.  Desaldo    (the    Spanish    name 

for  desolation). 

Bancroft,  Native  Races,  volume  1,  page  450,  edition  1882, 
"Neophites,"  an  Indian  tribe. 

Stamford's  Compendium  of  Geography  of  Central  and 
South  America,  volume  2,  page  23,  edition  of  London,  1901: 

"Mexican  and  Central  American  Stock  Races  and  Language. 
Ethnical  and  Historical  Relations." 

Stock.  Main    Division.  Location. 

Nicaragua. 
Chontal  LAMAN.  Honduras. 

Costa   Rica. 

Universal  Geography  by  E.  Reclus,  "America,"  volume  3, 
page  283:  '"The  Lamans  .  .  .  mostly  designated  by  the  names 
of  the  rivers,  inhabited  by  them." 

Laman  is  also  on  the  map  of  Central  America,  volume  3, 
page  282,  of  the  Universal  Geography. 

American  Antiquarian,  volume  22,  No.  2,  March  and  April, 
1900,  page  129,  Reverend  S.  D.  Peet,  Ph.  D.,  editor,  5817 
Madison  avenue,  Chicago,  Illinois: 

"Near  Manti,  Ecuador,  a  remarkable  archa?ological  relic  has 
been  found — one  of  the  most  interesting  monuments  in  South 
America,  of  an  unknown  and  extinct  civilization.  Upon  a  plat- 
form of  massive  rock  blocks  of  stone,  on  the  summit  of  a  low 
hill,  is  a  natural  amphitheater,  and  arranged  in  a  perfect 
circle  are  thirty  enormous  stone  chairs,  evidently  the  seats 
of  the  mighty.  Each  chair  is  a  monolith  cut  from  a  solid 
block  of  granite,  and  they  are  fine  specimens  of  stone-carv- 
ings. The  seats  rest  upon  the  back  of  a  crouching  sphinx 
which  has  a  decidedly  Egyptian  appearance.  There  are  no 
backs  to  the  chairs,  but  two  broad  arms.  This  is  supposed 
to  have  been  a  place  of  meeting — an  open-air  council  of  the 
chiefs  of  several  tribes  that  made  up  the  prehistoric  nations 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  111 

which  were  subdued  by  the  Incas  of  Peru  several  hundred 
years  before  the  Spanish  invasion." 

Rand,  McNally  &  Co.'s  Index  Atlas  of  the  World,  revised 
edition,  page  351,  map  of  Colombia,  "M.  10."  Near  the 
equator  you  will  find  the  city  of  Cuemani.  Compare  with 
our  Archaeological  Committee's  Report  on  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
map  of  the  Land  of  Zarahemla,  map  No.  14,  and  you  will 
find  that  Rand,  McNally  &  Co.  find  Cuemani  just  where  the 
Book  of  Mormon  map  locates  Cumeni. 

Prehistoric  America  by  Nadaillac,  "In  the  French  colony 
of  Guiana,  ...  on  the  banks  of  the  Maroni." — Page  27.  Edi- 
tion of  1901. 

Morona  River  in  Ecuador.  (See  Rand,  McNally  &  Co.'s 
Index  Atlas  of  the  World,  revised  edition,  page  367,  Morona 
River,  "B  3,"  in  Ecuador.) 

"Departing  from  there  we  went  farther  for  eight  miles 
and  came  to  a  people  called  Marroni.  They  are  a  very 
numerous  people,  and  received  us  very  well."  The  above 
was  taken  from  a  book  published  in  1567  in  German.  A 
careful  transcript  of  the  title-page  reads  as  follows: 

"The  Conquest  of  the  River  Plate 
"1535-1555. 

"Voyage  of  Ulrich  Schmidt  to  the  Rivers  La  Plata  and  Para- 
guia,  from  the  original  German  edition  of  1567. 

"Translated  for  the  Hakluyt  Society,  London,  1891." 

U.  S.  Bur.  Ethn.,  vol.  19,  part  2,  pp.  605,  625,  628.  Under 
the  column  of  "men  and  boy's  names"  we  find  "Sami." 

Professor  Thomas  of  the  U.  S.  Bur.  Ethn.,  tells  us  this 
name  was  found  among  an  ancient  tribe,  one  who  preserved 
their  language  and  customs  from  contamination  with  foreign 
tribes  or  people. 

John  T.  Short,  North  Americans  of  Antiquity,  page  438: 
"Muluc"  means  "reunion."  Again,  "Muluc" — "to  join  to- 
gether." (See  U.  S.  Bur.  Ethn.,  vol.  6,  p.  238.)  "To  gather 
together  scattered  things." — Brinton,  p.  217. 

Bradley's  Atlas  of  the  World,  edition  1895,  Argentine  Re- 
public, "J.  19,"  Moron. 


112 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 


Universal  Geography  by  E.  Reclus,  America,  volume  4, 
page  425: 

"The  long  spear  shaped  island  of  which  it  forms  a  part  has 
been  well  named  a  'land  of  desolation'  recalling  at  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  the  New  World  that  other  land  of  desolation 
which  lies  at  its  northern  extremity." 

Stamford's  Compendium  of  Geography,  volume  2,  page  487, 
edition  of  London,  1901:  In  the  west  central  part  of  Nica- 
ragua the  west  .seashore,  12  north  latitude,  "Cape  Desaldo." 

PARALLELS   AS   FOUND   IN   THE   BIBLE   AND   BOOK 
OF   MORMON. 


Bible   names   of  men. 

Adam,  Genesis  5:  1. 
Noah,  Genesis  5:  29. 
Abraham,  Genesis  17:  15. 

Isaac,  Genesis  22:  2. 
Jacob,  Genesis  27:  11. 
Nahor,  Genesis  24:  15. 
Joseph,  Genesis  30 :  24. 
Levi,  Genesis  29 :  34. 
Laban,  Genesis  24:  29. 
Aaron,  Exodus  4:  14. 
Moses,  Exodus  2 :  10. 
Lemuel,  Proverbs  31:  1. 
Samuel,  1  Samuel  1 :  20. 
Ishmael,  Genesis  16:  15. 
Gideon,  Judges  6:  11. 
Helem,  1  Chronicles  7:  35. 
Manasseh,  Genesis  41:  51. 
Nimrod,  Genesis  10 :  8. 
Sariah,  Genesis  18:  6. 
Isaiah,  Isaiah  1:  1. 
Jeremiah,  Jeremiah  1 :  1. 
Timothy,  2  Corinthians  1 :  1. 


Book  of  Mormon  name?  of 

men. 

Adam,  1  Nephi  1:  160,  p.  15. 
Noah,  Book  of  Alma  11:  3. 
Abraham,  1  Nephi  4 :  29. 

275. 

Isaac,  Jacob  3:  6. 
Jacob,  Jacob  2 :  69. 
Nehor,  Alma  1 :  22,  p.  300. 
Joseph,  2  Nephi  2 :  -6,  p.  87. 
Levi,  Ether  1 :  6,  p.  714. 
Laban,  1  Nephi  1 :  71,  p.  8. 
Aaron,  Mosiah  11:  203,  p.  289. 
Moses,  Jarom  1:  11,  p.  197. 
Lemuel,  1  Nephi  1 :  37,  p.  5. 
Samuel,  Helaman  5:  6,  p.  587. 
Ishmael,  1  Nephi  2 :  12,  p.  17. 
Gideon,  Mosiah  9:  77,  p.  262. 
Helam,  Mosiah  11 :  22,  p.  275. 
Manasseh,  Alma  8:  3,  p.  335. 
Nimrod,  Ether  3 :  60,  p.  731. 
Sariah,  1  Nephi  1 :  32,  p.  5. 
Isaiah,  Nephi  9:4,  p.  654. 
Jeremiah,  Nephi  9 :  4,  p.  654. 
Timothy,  Nephi  9 :  4,  p.  654. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 


113 


Jonas,  John  21:  15. 
David,  1  Samuel  16:  19. 
Joshua,  Numbers  14:6. 
Benjamin,  Genesis  35:  18. 
Ammon,  Genesis  19:  38. 
Amalek,  Genesis  36:  12. 
Heth,  Genesis  10:  15. 
Israel,  Genesis  48:  2. 
Jared,  Genesis    5:  15. 
Kish,  1  Samuel  9:  1. 
Lehi,  Judges  15:  9. 
Mary,   Matthew  1:  16. 
Zedekiah,  Jeremiah  29 :  22. 


Jonas,  Nephi  9:  4,  654. 
David,  Mormon  1 :  27,  p.  689. 
Joshua,  Mormon  1 :  27,  p.  689. 
Benjamin,  Omni  1:  40,  p.  202. 
Ammon,  Mosiah  5:  23,  p.  228. 
Amaleki,  Omni  1 :  40,  p.  202. 
Heth,  Ether  3:  69,  p.  732. 
Israel,  1  Nephi  5:  105,  p.  55. 
Jared,  Ether  1 :  36,  p.  718. 
Kish,  Ether  1 :  6,  p.  714. 
Lehi,  1  Nephi  1:  3,  p.  2. 
Mary,  Mosiah  1 :  102,  p.  216. 
Zedekiah,  1  Nephi  1 :  3,  p.  2. 


VARIOUS  WORDS  USED  ON  BOTH  CONTINENTS. 
Zif    (month),   1    Kings    6:1. 

Jerusalem,  Joshua  10:  1. 


Sidon,  Genesis  10:  15   (man). 
Ephraim,       Genesis       41:  52 

(man). 
Tower,  Genesis  11:  5 (Babel). 

Boaz,    Ruth    2:  1     (man). 

Antipas,      Revelation      2:  13 

(man). 
Gad,    Genesis   30:11    (man). 

Jordan,         Genesis         13:  10 

(river). 
Midian,  Genesis  25:  2  (man). 

Salem,  Genesis  14:  18   (city). 
Shem,  Genesis  5:  32   (man). 


Ziff,     Mosiah     7:6,     p.     239 

(money) . 
Jerusalem,  1  Nephi  1 :  67,  p. 

7  (C). 

Sidon,  Alma  10 :  86. 
Ephraim,  Ether  3:  46,  p.  730. 

(H). 
Tower,     Ether     1:5,   p.    714. 

(Babel). 
Boaz,  Mormon  2 :  22,  p.  697. 

(city). 
Antipas,  Alma  21 :  89,  p.  474 

(H). 
Gad,    Nephi    4:38,    p.     627 

(city). 
Jordan,  Mormon  2 :  28,  p.  698 

(city). 
Midian,  Alma  14:25,  p.   391 

(land). 
Salem,    Alma    10:  11,    p.    350 

(land). 
Shem,  Mormon  1 :  48,  p.  691 

(land). 


114  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

BAPTISM  BY  IMMERSION  IN  WATER. 

Mosheim  says:  "Baptism  was  publicly  administered.  .  .  . 
The  candidates  for  it  were  immersed  wholly  in  water." — Book 
1,  cent.  2,  part  2,  chapter  4,  vol.  1;  edition  of  1841,  p.  137. 

Smith,  in  his  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  says:  "Baptism,  .  .  . 
properly  and  literally  mean  immersion." — Page  96. 

Rev.  John  Wesley  says:  "We  are  buried  with  him."  Allud- 
ing to  the  ancient  manner  of  baptizing  by  immersion :  "That 
as  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead  by  the  glory" — glorious 
power  of  the  Father,  so  we  also  by  the  same  power  should  rise 
again:  and  as  he  lives  a  new  life  in  heaven,  so  we  should 
walk  in  newness  of  life.  This,  says  the  apostle,  our  very 
baptism  represents  to  us." — Notes  on  Romans  6 :  4,  p.  376. 

Again  he  says:  "That  he  might  sanctify  it  through  the 
word — the  ordinary  channel  of  all  blessings;  having  cleansed 
it — from  the  guilt  and  power  of  sin,  by  the  washing  of  water — 
in  baptism,  if  with  the  'outward  and  visible  sign,'  we  receive 
the  inward  and  spiritual  grace." — Notes  on  Ephesians  5:  26, 
p.  500. 

Again:  "Which  he  wrought  in  you,  when  ye  were  as  it 
were  buried  with  him  in  baptism.  The  ancient  manner  of 
baptizing  by  immersion." — Notes  on  Colossians  2:  12,  p.  520. 

Rev.  Cardinal  Gibbons  says:  "For  several  centuries  after 
the  establishment  of  Christianity,  baptism  was  usually  con- 
ferred by  immersion;  but  since  the  twelfth  century,  the 
practice  of  baptizing  by  infusion  has  prevailed  in  the  Catholic 
Church,  as  this  manner  is  attended  with  less  inconvenience 
than  baptism  by  immersion." — The  Faith  of  our  Fathers,  p. 
317.  Edition  of  1897. 

Novatus:  "Who,  aided  by  the  exorcists,  when  attacked 
with  an  obstinate  disease,  and  being  supposed  at  the  point 
of  death,  was  baptized  by  aspersion,  in  the  bed  on  which  he 
lay:  if  indeed,  it  be  proper  to  say  that  one  like  him  did 
receive  baptism.  But  neither  when  he  recovered  from  dis- 
ease, did  he  partake  of  other  things,  which  the  rules  of  the 
church  prescribed  as  a  duty,  nor  was  he  sealed  (in  confirma- 
tion) by  the  bishop.  But  as  he  did  not  obtain  this,  how 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  115 

could  he  obtain  the  Holy  Spirit?" — Campbell  and  Purcell  de- 
bate, p.  110. 

Rev.  W.  B.  Boggs  says:  "THe  Greek,  or  Eastern  Church, 
so  called  in  distinction  from  the  Roman,  Latin,  or  Western 
Church,  extends  over  Greece  and  all  through  Russia,  from 
the  Black  Sea  to  Siberia,  and  has  branches  scattered  through 
Egypt,  Abyssinia,  Arabia,  Palestine,  and  other  African  and 
Asiatic  countries.  Now  it  is  well  known  that  the  Greek 
Church  has  always  practiced,  and  still  invariably  practices, 
immersion  in  baptism,  even  in  the  severe  climate  of  Northern 
Russia."— The  Baptists,  p.  82. 

John  Wesley:  "The  antitype  whereof — the  thing  typified 
by  the  ark,  even  baptism,  now  saveth  us — that  is,  through  the 
water  of  baptism  we  are  saved  from  the  sin  which  over- 
whelms the  world  as  a  flood." — Notes  on  1  Peter  3:  21,  p.  615. 

Bishop  Bossuet,  a  Catholic,  says:  "In  fine,  we  read  not 
in  the  Scripture  that  baptism  was  otherwise  administered, 
(than  by  immersion;)  and  we  are  able  to  make  it  appear  by 
the  acts  of  councils,  and  by  the  ancient  rituals,  that  for 
thirteen  hundred  years  baptism  was  thus  administered 
throughout  .the  whole  church." — Tri-lemma,  p.  98,  published 
in  1883. 

Bishop  Pise,  a  Catholic,  says:  "There  are  many  things 
believed  by  all  Christians  at  the  present  day,  not  to  be  found 
in  the  Scripture.  .  .  .  We  nowhere  find  that  the  apostles 
oaptized  infants,  and  if  it  be  proper  and  necessary  to  baptize 
infants  as  well  as  adults,  we  have  no  other  authority,  and 
must  depend  entirely  on  tradition." — Tri-lemma,  pp.  97,  98. 

Neander  says:  "The  usual  form  of  submersion  at  baptism, 
practiced  by  the  Jews,  was  passed  over  to  the  Gentile  Chris- 
tians. Indeed  this  form  was  the  most  suitable  to  signify  that 
Christ  intended  to  render  an  object  of  contemplation  by  such 
a.  symbol;  the  immersion  of  the  whole  man  in  the  spirit  of  a 
new  life." — Planting  and  Training  of  the  Christian  Churc'h, 
p.  161.  Quoted  from  The  Baptists,  by  Rev.  W.  B.  Boggs, 
pp.  68,  69. 

Venema  says:     "It  is  without  controversy  that  baptism  in 


116  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

the   primitive   church    was   administered   by   immersion   into 
water,  and  not  by  sprinkling." — Ibid.,  p.  69. 

Professor  Kurtz,  of  the  Ecclesiastical  History  at  Dorpat, 
says:  "Baptism  was  administered  by  a  complete  immersion 
in  the  name  of  Christ,  or  the  Triune  God."— Ibid.,  pp.  69,'  70. 
Dr.  Philip  Schaff,  of  New  York,  says:  "The  usual  form 
of  the  act  was  immersion,  as  is  plain  from  the  original  mean- 
ing of  the  Greek  words,  from  the  analogy  of  John's  baptism 
in  the  Jordan,  .  .  .  and  finally  from  the  custom  of  the  ancient 
church,  which  prevails  in  the  East  to  this  day." — History  of 
Ancient  Christianity  (first  cent),  vol.  1,  p.  123.  Ibid.,  p.  70. 
Martin  Luther  says:  "First,  the  name  baptism  is  Greek; 
in  Latin  it  can  be  rendered  immersion,  when  we  immerse 
anything  into  water,  that  it  may  be  all  covered  with  water. 
And  although  that  custom  has  now  grown  out  of  use  with 
most  persons  (nor  do  they  wholly  submerge  children,  but 
only  pour  on  a  little  water),  yet  they  ought  to  be  entirely  im- 
mersed, and  immediately  drawn  out.  For  this  the  etymology 
of  the  name  seems  to  demand." — Ibid.,  pp.  70,  71. 

John  Calvin  says:  "The  word  baptize  itself  signifies  im- 
merse, and  it  is  certain  that  the  rite  of  immersing  was 
observed  by  the  ancient  church." — Ibid.,  p.  71. 

Archbishop  Tillotson,  an  Episcopalian,  says:  "Anciently 
those  who  were  baptized  were  immersed,  and  buried  in  the 
water,  to  represent  their  death  to  sin,  and  then  did  rise  up 
out  of  the  water,  to  signify  their  entrance  upon  a  new  life, 
and  to  those  the  apostles  alludes,  Romans  6 :  4-6." — Sermons, 
vol.  8,  p.  179.  Ibid.,  p.  73. 

Doctor  Whitby  says:  "It  being  so  expressly  declared  here 
(Romans  6:  4  and  Colossians  2:  12)  that  we  are  'buried  with 
Christ  in  baptism,'  by  being  buried  under  water,  and  the 
argument  to  oblige  us  to  a  conformity  to  his  death  by  dying 
to  sin,  being  taken  hence;  and  this  immersion  being  religiously 
observed  by  all  Christians  for  thirteen  centuries,  and  approved 
by  our  church,  and  the  change  of  it  into  sprinkling,  without 
either  any  allowance  from  the  author  of  this  institution,  or 
any  license  from  any  council  of  the  church,  it  were  to  be 
wished  that  this  custom  might  be  again  of  general  use."— 


PARSONS'   TEXT 'BOOK  117 

Commentary  on  the  New  Testament,  Romans  6:  4.  Ibid.,  p.  74. 
Dr.  Cunningham  Geikie  says:  "John  resisted  no  longer, 
and  leading  Jesus  into  the  stream,  the  rite  was  performed. 
.  .  .  Holy  and  pure  before  sinking  under  the  water,  he  must 
yet  have  risen  from  them  with  the  light  of  a  higher  glory 
in  his  countenance.  .  .  .  Past  years  had  been  buried  in  the 
waters  of  the  Jordaa.  He  entered  them  as  Jesus,  the  Son 
of  Man;  he  rose  from  them  the  Christ  of  God." — Ibid.,  p.  75. 

Presbyterian  Westminster  Assembly  of  Divines:  "In  this 
phrase  the  apostle  seemeth  to  allude  to  the  ancient  manner 
of  baptism,  which  was  to  dip  the  persons  baptized,  and  as  it 
were,  bury  them  under  the  water  for  a  while,  and  then  to 
draw  them  out  of  it  and  lift  them  up,  to  represent  the  burial 
of  our  old  man  and  our  resurrection  to  newness  of  life."- 
Annotations,  published  in  folio,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Assembly;  Annotations  on  Romans  6:3,  4.  Ibid.,  pp.  76,  77. 

Dr.  Adam  Clarke  says:  "We  are  buried  with  him  by  bap- 
tism into  death.  It  is  probable  that  the  apostle  here  alludes 
to  the  mode  of  administering  baptism  by  immersion,  the 
whole  body  being  put  under  the  water,  which  seemed  to  say, 
the  man  is  drowned,  is  dead;  and  when  he  came  up  out  of  the 
water,  he  seemed  to  have  a  resurrection  to  life;  the  man  is 
risen  again;  he  is  alive!" — Comment  on  Romans  6:  4.  Ibid., 
p.  79. 

Alexander  De  Stourdza,  of  the  Greek  Church,  says:  "The 
verb  baptizo,  immergo,  has  in  fact,  but  one  sole  acceptation. 
It  signifies  literally,  and  always,  to  plunge.  Baptism  and 
immersion  are  therefore  identical,  and  to  say  baptism  by 
aspersion,  is  as  if  one  should  say  immersion  by  aspersion, 

Rev.  D.  Z.  Sakellarios,  a  Greek  Catholic,  says:  "The  true 
meaning  of  the  word  baptizo  is  expressed  by  the  word  itself. 
Rantizo  means  to  sprinkle ;  louo,  to  wash ;  epikeo,  to  pour  upon. 
Bapto,  or  baptizo,  means  to  immerse  or  baptize." — Ibid.,  p.  87. 

Rev,,  Dr.  T.  DeWitt  Talmage  baptizes  a  student  in  the  River 
Jordan:  "It  was  a  scene  of  unimaginable  solemnity.  A 
comrade  in  our  Holy  Land  journey  rode  up  by  my  side  that 
day  and  told  me  that  a  young  man  who  is  now  studying  for 


118  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

the  gospel  ministry,  would  like  to  be  baptized  by  me  in  the 
Jordan.  I  got  all  the  facts  I  could  concerning  his  earnestness 
and  faith.  .  .  .  Then  I  read  from  the  Bible  the  account  of 
baptism  in  that  sacred  stream  and  implored  the  presence  of 
the  Christ  on  whose  head  the  dove  descended  at  the  Jordan. 
Then  as  the  candidate  and  myself  stepped  into  the  waters, 
the  people  on  the  bank  sung  in  full  and  resounding  voice: 
'On  Jordan's  stormy  banks  I  stand.'  By  this  time  we  had 
reached  the  middle  of  the  river.  As  the  candidate*  sunk  under 
the  floods  and  rose  again." — Philadelphia  Record,  October  27, 
1891. 

BAPTISM  BY  IMMERSION  IN  WATER  FOR  THE 
REMISSION  OF  SINS. 

Mosheim  says:  "The  effect  of  baptism  was  supposed  to 
be  the  remission  of  sins." — Book  1,  cent.  3,  part  2,  chap.  4, 
vol.  1,  p.  189.  Edition  of  1841. 

John  Wesley  says:  "Baptism  administered  to  real  peni- 
tents, is  both  a  means  and  seal  of  pardon.  Nor  did  God 
ordinarily  in  the  primitive  church  bestow  this  on  any,  unless 
through  this  means."— Notes  on  Acts  22:  16,  p.  340. 

Again:  "The  knowledge  of  the  remission  of  our  sins  being 
the  grand  instrument  of  present  and  eternal  salvation,  (He- 
brews 8:  11,  12.)  But  the  immediate  sense  of  the  words  seems 
to  be,  to  preach  to  them  the  gospel  doctrine  of  salvation  by 
the  remission  of  their  sins." — Ibid.,  p.  144. 

Rev.  Alexander  Campbell  says:  "Remission  of  sins  can 
not  be  enjoyed  by  any  person  before  immersion.  Belief  of 
this  testimony  is  what  impelled  us  into  the  water,  knowing 
that  the  efficacy  of  His  blood  is  to  be  communicated  to  our 
consciences  in  the  way  which  God  has  pleased  to  appoint." 
—Christian  Baptism,  p.  521.  Quoted  from  the  Tri-lemma, 
p.  195. 


PARSONS'  TEXT   BOOK  119 

HISTORICAL  FACTS  TO  PROVE  THAT  THE  ELEMENT 

OF  WATER  WAS  NOT  WANTING  FOR 

BAPTIZING  BY  IMMERSION. 

Rev.  W.  B.  Boggs  says:  "Visited  the  Holy  Land  in  De- 
cember, 1878,  and  bathed  in  the  Jordan  at  the  traditional 
place  of  baptism,  east  of  Jericho.  At  that  time  the  water 
was  low,  and  at  that  particular  place  was  comparatively 
shallow,  and  yet  it  was  waist  deep  at  one  third  of  the  way 
across,  and  to  have  gone  farther  would  have  required  swim- 
ming. Both  above  and  below  this  place  it  was  much  deeper. 
It  has  also  been  said  that  there  were  no  facilities  at  Jerusalem 
for  the  immersion  of  three  thousand  people  in  one  day.  Now, 
the  fact  is  that  the  water  supply  of  the  city  was  very  abund- 
ant, considering  that  Jerusalem  was  but  a  small  city  com- 
paratively. There  were,  within  the  walls  and  outside,  in  the 
immediate  vicinity,  various  tanks  and  reservoirs  of  very 
large  proportion.  Some  of  them  may  be  briefly  described. 

"The  pool  of  Bethesda  is  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long, 
^ne  hundred  and  thirty  wide,  and  seventy-five  deep.  The 
pool  of  Siloam  is  fifty-three  feet  long,  eighteen  wide,  and 
nineteen  deep.  It  now  holds  two  or  three  feet  of  water, 
which  can  readily  be  increased  to  a  much  greater  depth.  .  .  . 
The  upper  pool  is  three  hundred  and  sixteen  feet  long,  twr 
hundred  and  eighteen  wide,  and  eighteen  deep,  covering  an 
acre  and  a  half  of  ground.  .  .  .  The  lower  pool,  or  pool  of 
Gihon,  is  five  hundred  and  ninety-two  feet  long,  two  hundred 
and  sixty  wide,  and  forty  feet  deep,  having  an  area  of  more 
than  three  and  a  half  acres.  .  .  .  Doctor  Thomson,  the  mission- 
ary to  Palestine  already  quoted,  in  seeking  to  locate  the 
scene  of  the  eunuch's  baptism  by  Philip,  says:  'He  would 
then  have  met  the  chariot  somewhere  southwest  of  Latron. 
There  is  a  fine  stream  of  water,  called  Murubbah,  deep  enough 
even  in  June  to  satisfy  the  utmost  wishes  of  our  Baptist 
friends.  ...  At  Velumpilly,  ten  miles  north  of  Ongole,  in  the 
Madras  Presidency,  in  the  month  of  July,  1878,  two  thousand 
two  hundred  and  twenty-two  persons  were  baptized  by  immer- 
sion in  one  day.  The  administration  of  the  ordinance  was 


120  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

characterized  by  due  decorum  and  solemnity.  Then*  were  six 
administrators,  but  only  two  of  them  at  a  time  were  engaged 
in  baptizing.  They  relieved  each  other  when  necessary.  It 
occupied  about  nine  hours.  At  Ongole,  the  writer  (Rev.  W.  B. 
Boggs,)  baptized  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  persons  on 
Sunday  evening,  April  11,  1880.  There  was  no  undue  haste. 
The  usual  formula  was  deliberately  pronounced  at  the  bap- 
tism of  each  one.  The  service  occupied  about  an  hour  and  a 
half."— The  Baptists,  pp.  100-104. 

"Lieutenant  Lynch,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  was  sent  by 
his  Government,  in  1848,  in  charge  of  an  expedition  to  explore 
the  River  Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea,  for  antiquarian  and  scien- 
tific purposes.  They  passed  down  the  entire  length  of  the 
Jordan  in  boats,  from  the  Lake  of  Galilee  to  the  Dead  Sea. 

"The  river  was  found  to  vary  in  width  from  seventy-five  to 
two  hundred  feet;  and  in  depth  from  three  to  twelve  feet. 
At  Bethabara,  where  tradition  has  fixed  the  place  of  our 
Savior's  baptism,  and  where  John  baptized  the  multitudes, 
Lieutenant  Lynch  gives  the  width  as  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet,  and  the  greatest  depth  as  twelve  feet." — Ibid.,  pp.  98,  99. 

Dean  Stanley,  who  traveled  in  the  Holy  Land  in  1853,  says : 
"What  then  was  baptism  in  the  apostolic  age?  ...  In  that 
early  age  the  scene  of  the  transaction  was  either  some  deep 
wayside  spring  or  well,  as  for  the  Ethiopian,  or  some  rushing 
river,  as  the  Jordan,  or  some  vast  reservoir,  as  at  Jericho  or 
Jerusalem,  whither,  as  in  the  baths  of  Caracalla,  at  Rome,  the 
whole  population  resorted  for  swimming  or  washing." — Ibid., 
pp.  94,  95. 

EXAMPLE  OF  THE  APOSTLES  AS  GOOD  AS  A 
COMMAND. 

"The  apostles  were  commissioned  by  the  Lord  to  teach  the 
disciples  to  observe  all  things  he  had  commanded  them.  Now 
we  believe  them  to  have  been  faithful  to  their  Master,  and 
consequently  he  gave  them  to  know  his  will.  Whatever  the 
disciples  practiced  in  their  meetings  with  the  approbation  of 
the  apostles,  is  an  equivalent  to  an  apostolic  command  to  us  to 
do  the  same.  To  suppose  the  contrary,  is  to  make  the  half  of 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  121 

the  New  Testament  of  noneffect.  For  it  does  not  altogether 
consist  of  commands,  but  of  approved  precedents.  Apostolic 
example  is  justly  esteemed  of  equal  authority  with  an  apostolic 
precept.  Hence,  say  the  Baptists,  'Show  us  where  Paul  or  any 
apostle  sprinkled  an  infant,  and  we  will  not  ask  you  for  a 
command  to  go  and  do  likewise.'  It  is  no  derogation  from  the 
authority  for  observing  the  first  day  of  the  week,  to  admit 
that  Christians  are  nowhere  in  this  volume  commanded  to 
observe  it.  We  are  told  that  the  disciples,  with  the  counte- 
nance and  presence  of  the  apostles,  met  for  worship  on  this 
day.  And  so  long  as  we  believe  they  were  honest  men,  and 
taught  all  that  was  commanded  them,  so  long  we  must  admit 
that  the  Lord  commanded  it  to  be  so  done.  For  if  they  allowed, 
and  by  their  presence  authorized,  the  disciples  to  meet  reli- 
giously on  the  first  day,  without  any  authority  from  their 
King,  there  is  no  confidence  to  be  placed  in  them  in  other  mat- 
ters. Then  it  follows  that  they  instituted  a  system  of  will  wor- 
ship, and  made  themselves  lords  instead  of  servants.  But  the 
thought  is  inadmissable,  consequently  the  order  of  worship 
they  gave  the  churches  was  given  them  by  their  Lord,  and 
their  example  is  of  the  same  force  with  a  broad  precept. "- 
Christian  Baptist,  p.  180. 

LAYING  ON  OF  HANDS,  FOR  CONFIRMATION. 

Bishop  John  B.  Purcell,  of  the  Catholic  Church  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  said:  "But  neither  when  he  (Novatus)  recovered 
from  disease,  did  he  partake  of  other  things,  which  the  rules 
of  the  church  prescribed  as  a  duty,  nor  was  he  sealed  (in 
confirmation]  by  the  bishop.  But  as  he  did  not  obtain  this, 
how  could  he  obtain  the  Holy  Spirit?" — Campbell  and  Purcel! 
Debate,  p.  110. 

Tertullian  says:  '"The  flesh  is  overshadowed  by  the  im- 
position of  hands,  that  the  soul  may  be  enlightened  with  the 
Spirit."— The  Faith  of  our  Fathers,  p.  323. 

Saint  Cyprian  says:  "Because  they  (the  Samaritans)  had 
received  the  legitimate  baptism,  .  .  .  what  was  wanting,  that 
was  done  by  Peter  and  John,  that  prayer  being  made  for 


122  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

them,  and  hands  imposed,  the  Holy  Ghost  should  be  invoked 
and  poured  forth  upon  them.  Which  now  also  is  done  amongst 
us,  so  that  they  who  are  baptized  in  the  church,  are  presented 
to  the  bishops  of  the  church,  and  by  prayer  and  imposition  of 
hands,  they  receive  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  are  perfected  with 
the  seal  of  the  Lord."— Ibid.,  pp.  323,  324. 

Saint  Jerome  says:  "Do  you  know,  .  .  .  that  it  is  the  prac- 
tice of  the  churches  that  the  imposition  of  hands  should  be 
performed  over  baptized  persons,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  thus 
invoked?"— Ibid.,  p.  325. 

Rev.  John  Wesley  said:  "And  when  they  believed,  they 
were  to  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  (not  of  the  Jews,  or  of 
John,  but)  of  Christ.  The  next  thing  was  to  lay  hands  upon 
them,  that  they  might  receive  the  Holy  Ghost." — Notes  on 
Hebrews  6:  1,  p.  574. 

Bingham  says:  "All  those  testimonies  likewise  which  require 
heretics  to  have  imposition  of  hands  from  the  bishop,  in  order 
to  obtain  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  are  a  further  evidence 
of  this  practice.  To  which  purpose  we  have  the  decrees  of  Pope 
Leo  and  Ciricius,  who  particularly  observes  this  to  have  been 
the  general  practice  of  the  whole  church,  both  eastern  and 
western,  as  well  as  the  church  of  Rome,  in  the  reception  of 
those  who  had  been  baptized  in  any  heresy  or  schism.  And 
to  all  persons  baptized  in  the  church.  Saint  Austin  is  a  fur- 
ther witness,  who  says,  That  in  propriety  of  speech,  neither 
the  apostles,  nor  any  other  man,  but  Christ  alone,  as  he  is 
God,  could  give  the  Holy  Ghost;  for  the  apostles  only  laid 
hands  on  men,  that  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  their  prayers,  might 
descend  upon  them;  which  custom  the  church  has  now  ob- 
served and  practiced  by  her  governors  also." — Antiquities, 
vol.  1,  book  12,  chap.  2,  p.  550. 

Cardinal  Gibbons  says:  "Confirmation  is  a  sacrament  in 
which,  through  the  imposition  of  the  bishop's  hands,  unction, 
and  prayer,  baptized  persons  receive  the  Holy  Ghost." — Faith 
of  Our  Fathers,  p.  320. 

A  General  History  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  in  America 
and  Other  Parts  of  the  World,  by  David  Benedict,  A.  M.,  pub- 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  123 

lished  in  Boston  (55  Coitihill  street)  by  Lincoln  and  Edmonds 
in  1813,  says  (vol.  1,  p.  487)  : 

"The  doctrine  of  laying  on  of  hands  was,  at  the  beginning 
of  this  church,  [First  Baptist  Church,  Providence,]  held  in  a 
lax  manner;  but  it  became  afterwards  a  term  of  communion, 
and  continued  so  until  after  Doctor  Manning  came  among 
them;  he  prevailed  with  the  church  to  admit  to  occasional 
communion,  those  brethren  who  were  not  convinced  of  the 
duty  of  coming  under  hands;  but  very  few  such  were  received 
as  members  till  after  his  death.  But  on  August  4,  1791,  the 
church  had  a  full  meeting,  when  this  point  was  distinctly 
considered,  and  a  clear  vote  was  gained  to  admit  members 
who  did  not  hold  that  doctrine.  But  notwithstanding  this 
vote,  the  laying  on  of  hands,  not  as  an  ordinance,  but  as  a 
form  of  receiving  new  members,  was  generally  practiced  until 
1808,  when  the  pastor  of  the  church,  who  had  been  educated 
in  the  belief  of  this  ceremony,  as  his  father  was  an  advocate 
for  it,  and  who  had  hitherto  practiced  it,  not  however,  without 
troublesome  scruples  of  its  propriety,  found  his  mind  brought 
to  a  stand  on  the  subject,  and  after  duly  weighing  the  matter 
informed  the  church  that  he  could  no  longer  continue  the 
practice,  and  unless  they  could  excuse  him,  he  must  ask  a 
dismission  from  his  pastoral  care.  After  a  full  discussion  of 
the  subject,  the  church,  with  but  one  dissenting  voice,  voted 
not  to  dismiss  him  and  laying  on  of  hands  of  course  fell  into 
neglect.  Some  few  worthy  members  were  desirous  of  retain- 
ing both  their  pastor  and  this  ancient  ceremony,  but  not 
being  disposed  to  act  against  the  voice  of  the  church,  no 
division  and  but  little  controversy  ensued."  (Supplied  by 
F.  M.  Slover.) 

I  submit  the  following,  taken  from  an  old  Baptist  Hymn 
Book,  compiled  by  John  Tillinghast,  Providence,  1842: 

"If  Christians  disagree 

And  walk  by  different  laws, 
It  plainly  does  appear  to  me 
Their  teachers  are  the  cause. 


124  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

"They  teach  the  word  in  part, 

In  part  their  duty  do: 
The  cause  why  Saints  divide  in  heart, 
And  different  ways  pursue. 

"If  ministers  would  read 

And  preach  the  gospel  clear, 
Christ's  followers  would  be  agreed 
And  walk  together  here. 

"They  all  would  realize 

The  doctrine  as  it  stands, 
Repent,  believe  and  be  baptized, 
And  pray  and  lay  on  hands. 

"All  eye  to  eye  would  see, 
Together  lift  their  voice, 
And  this  would  make  the  table  free 
And  Christians  all  rejoice." 

The  foregoing  was  supplied  by  Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt. 

Mr.  Comer,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  Newport,  Rhode 
Island,  1726,  has  this  to  say  of  the  labors  of  Doctor  Benedict: 
"The  laying  on  of  hands  was  held  in  a  lax  manner,  and  his 
attempts  to  urge  it  as  an  indispensable  duty  though  not  as  a 
term  of  communion,  gave  offense  to  two  leading  members  in 
the  church,  and  was  the  means  of  his  being  dismissed  from 
his  office."— Ibid.,  p.  497. 

Again  in  1742  this  church  wakes  up  on  this  subject,  and  in 
the  Philadelphia  association  in  September,  takes  a  firm  posi- 
tion in  framing  their  creed  as  follows:  "We  believe  that 
laying  on  of  hands,  with  prayer,  upon  baptized  believers,  as 
such  is  an  ordinance  of  Christ,  and  ought  to  be  submitted  unto 
by  all  ...  for  the  farther  reception  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
promise." — Historical  Vindications,  by  Professor  Cutting. 

Rupp's  History  of  Religious  Denominations,  page  81,  speak- 
ing of  the  English  and  Welsh  Baptists  in  their  mode  of  con- 
firmation, the  laying  on  of  hands,  says:  "It  was  recognized 
as  an  ordinance  of  Christ  in  their  confessions,  and  practices  in 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  125 

many  of  their  churches  for  more  than  a  hundred  years  after 
their  first  formation.  It  seems  to  have  grown  into  disuse  by 
slow  degrees  and  yet  was  earnestly  advocated  and  contended 
for  by  many  of  their  most  learned  and  influential  men.  This 
was  the  case  in  England  and  America." 

Andrew  Rivet  says:  "The  imposition  of  hands  joined  with 
the  doctrine  of  baptism,  (Hebrews  6:  2,)  refers  to  that  solemn 
benediction  of  baptized  persons  which  the  ancients  so  often 
speak  of,  and  which  was  in  use  in  the  primitive  church. "- 
Rivet,  Cathol.  Orth.  Tract  3:29.  Quoted  by  Bingham,  vol. 
8,  p.  173. 

Herzog  says:  "In  the  apostolic  church  the  laying  on  of 
hands  was  connected  with  baptism,  as  the  means  of  communi- 
cating the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  .  .  .  Baptism  was  incomplete 
without  the  laying  on  of  hands,  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost;  wherefore,  Protestant  polemics  should  never  have  al- 
lowed itself  to  accept  the  declaration  that  these  passages, 
Acts  19:  6,  and  &:  12-19,  Hebrews  6:1,  2,  did  not  refer  to 
the  Holy  Ghost,  but  only  to  the  special  gifts  of  the  Spirit  in 
apostolic  times." — Herzog's  Prost.  Theol.  Encyc. 

Dr.  William  Gouge,  a  Puritan  minister,  says:  "Ordinary 
cases  wherein  imposition  of  hands  was  used,  were  (1)  blessing 
children  by  our  Savior,  (2)  setting  men  apart  to  the  public 
function  of  ministers  of  the  word,  (3)  deputing  men  to  some 
special  work,  (4)  confirming  such  as  had  been  instructed  in 
the  principles  of  religion." — Camfield,  p.  35. 

Edmund  Calamy,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  says:  "Whereto 
I  answer,  that  there  is  a  general  unanimity  among  those  who 
have  been  most  diligent  in  searching  into  ecclesiastical  antiq- 
uity, in  reporting  this  as  the  current  practice  of  the  primitive 
church;  and  that  not  only  while  miraculous  gifts  continued,  but 
afterward.  That  it  is  convenient  and  warrantable  by  Scrip- 
ture as  well  as  antiquity,  was  the  opinion  of  our  first  reform- 
ers here  in  England  and  the  most  celebrated  divines  we  have 
had  amongst  us  ever  since.  This  was  also  the  judgment  of 
the  learned  Grotius,  who  was  perhaps  one  of  the  greatest  men 
these  parts  of  the  world  ever  produced.  Nay,  the  same  was 
the  sentiment  of  the  famous  Calvin,  who  founded  confirmation 


126  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

by  imposition  of  hands  on  Hebrews  6:  2,  where  we  find  laying 
on  of  hands  in  the  rank  of  fundamental,  in  the  fourth  place, 
after  repentance,  faith  and  baptism,  and  before  the  resurrec- 
tion and  eternal  judgment." — Practical  Discourse  Concerning 
Vows,  published  1704. 

The  celebrated  Puritan,  John  Milton,  says:  "In  the  case  of 
the  baptized,  imposition  of  hands  conferred,  not  indeed  saving 
grace,  but  miraculous  powers  and  the  extraordinary  gifts  of 
the  Spirit." — Christian  Doctrine,  p.  449,  edition  Cambridge, 
1825. 

Richard  Baxter,  the  celebrated  nonconformist,  says:  "But 
let  us  inquire  whether  the  Scriptures  lay  not  some  kind  of 
obligation  on  us  to  use  this  ceremony  in  confirmation,  to  which 
end  let  these  several  things  be  considered.  (1)  We  find  in 
Scripture  a  blessing  of  church  members  with  the  laying  on  of 
hands.  (2)  We  find  in  Scripture  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
promised  in  a  special  manner  to  believers,  over  and  above  that 
measure  of  the  Spirit  which  caused  them  to  believe.  (3)  We 
find  that  prayer  with  laying  on  of  hands,  was  the  outward 
means  to  be  used  by  Christ's  ministers  for  the  procuring  of 
this  blessing — Holy  Ghost.  (4)  We  find  that  this  was  a  fixed 
ordinance  to  the  church,  and  not  a  temporary  thing." — Minis- 
terial Imposition  of  Hands  in  Confirmation,  p.  271. 

Again  he  says:  "When  I  have  proved  it  once  appointed, 
it  lieth  on  the  contrary-minded  to  prove  it  changed  or  ceased. 
If  I  show  them  an  obligation  once  laid,  they  must  prove  it 
taken  off.  Their  only  argument  is,  that  the  persons  and 
occasions  were  only  extraordinary,  and  are  ceased,  and  there- 
fore so  is  the  sign  and  means.  .  .  .  The  use  and  ends  of  the 
ancient  imposition  of  hands  do  still  continue:  therefore,  we 
are  to  judge  that  the  sign  and  means  is  not  to  cease.  The 
baptized  believer  may  still  want  the  joy  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  boldness  of  access  to  God,  and  the  shedding  abroad  of 
fuller  love  in  the  heart.  .  .  .  The  Scripture  signifieth  to  us, 
that  imposition  of  hands  was  of  standing  use  in  the  church, 
and  therefore  not  to  cease." — Ibid.,  p.  272. 

Seventh-day  Baptist  Confession  of  Faith,  adopted  at  a 
General  Conference  in  1833,  15  sec.:  "Concerning  imposition 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  127 

of  hands,  we  believe  it  was  the  practice  of  the  apostles  and 
the  primitive  church,  to  lay  hands  upon  the  newly  baptized 
believers,  and  it  should  be  perpetuated  in  the  church." — Rupp's 
History  of  Religious  Denominations,  p.  81. 

Mr.  Vavasor  Powell,  a  Baptist  minister  of  Wales,  says: 
"Laying  on  of  hands,  on  newly  baptized,  and  anointing  the 
sick  .with  oil,  according  to  the  apostolic  direction." — Crosby, 
vol.  1,  p.  378. 

Professor  Cutting,  of  the  Rochester  University,  in  his  His- 
torical Vindications,  page  96,  says:  "It  must  appear  from 
these  quotations  that  the  laying  on  of  hands  was  of  very 
general  prevalence  among  the  first  Baptists  in  this  country." 
Besides  this  we  have  their  declaration  in  favor  of  the  rite  in 
their  first  confession  as  set  forth  by  the  Philadelphia  Associa- 
tion in  September,  1742. 

APOSTASY  FROM  THE  PRIMITIVE  ORDER. 

Mosheim  says:  "Christian  churches  had  scarcely  been 
gathered  and  organized,  when  here  and  there  men  rose  up, 
who,  not  being  contented  with  the  simplicity  and  purity  of 
that  religion  which  the  apostles  taught,  sought  out  new  in- 
ventions, and  fashioned  religion  according  to  their  own  liking." 
—Book  1,  cent.  1,  part  2,  chap.  5,  vol.  1,  p.  88.  Edition  of 
1841. 

"For  the  noble  simplicity  and  the  majesty  dignity  of  the 
Christian  religion  were  lost,  or,  at  least,  impaired  when  these 
philosophers  presumed  to  associate  their  dogmas  with  it, 
and  to  bring  faith  and  piety  under1  the  dominion  of  human 
reason." — Ibid.,  book  1,  cent.  2,  part  1,  chap.  1,  p.  104. 

"These  councils, — of  which  no  vestige  appears  before  the 
middle  of  this  century,  second,  changed  nearly  the  whole  form 
of  the  church.  For  by  them,  in  the  first  place,  the  ancient 
rights  and  privileges  of  the  people  were  very  much  abridged; 
and  on  the  other  hand,  the  influence  and  authority  of  the 
bishops  were  not  a  little  augmented.  At  first,  the  bishops 
did  not  deny,  that  they  were  merely  the  representatives  of 
their  churches,  and  that  they  acted  in  the  name  of  the  people ; 
but  by  little  and  little,  they  made  higher  pretensions,  and 


128  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

maintained  that  power  was  given  them  by  Christ  himself,  to 
dictate  rules  of  faith  and  conduct  to  the  people." — Book  1, 
cent.  2,  part  2,  chap.  2,  vol.  1,  p.  117.  Edition  of  1841. 

"It  is  certain  that  to  religious  worship,  both  public  and 
private,  many  rites  were  added,  without  necessity  and  to  the 
great  offense  of  sober  and  good  men." — Ibid.,  chap.  4,  p.  132. 

John  Wesley  says:  "The  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  were  no 
longer  to  be  found  in  the  Christian  church.;  because  the  Chris- 
tians had  turned  heathens  again,  and  had  only  a  dead  form 
left."— Ninety-fourth  sermon,  vol.  2,  p.  266. 

Again:  "I  doubt  whether  you  ever  knew  a  Christian  in 
your  life.  ...  I  believe  it:  you  never  did;  and,  perhaps  you 
never  will;  for  you  will  not  find  them  in  the  great  and  gay 
world,  .  .  .  though  they  are  called  Christians,  yet  they  are 
as  far  from  it  as  hell  is  from  heaven." — Sixty-sixth  sermon, 
vol.  2,  p.  65. 

Professor  Swing,  of  Chicago,  said:  "This  kingdom  of  the 
Lord  has  either  by  accident  or  design  been  broken  up  into 
many  fragments,  and  we  meet  to-day  in  the  name  of  only 
one  of  these  numerous  and  widely  scattered  parts.  .  .  .  This 
house  which  we  dedicate  to  God  this  day,  wears  the  name  of 
Presbyterian  upon  its  party  flag,  not  because  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  is  Presbyterian,  but  because  our  form  of  church  gov- 
ernment and  of  thought  are  cast  in  the  Presbyterian  mold."- 
Chicago  Tribune,  1874. 

Marsh  says:  "The  revolution  under  Constantine  (beginning 
of  the  fourth  century)  was  one  from  which  almost  every- 
thing which  the  Christian  values  might  be  hoped.  But  alas! 
such  is  the  depravity  of  hilman  nature,  it  was  one  in  which 
almost  everything  of  evangelical  worth  was  lost.  Constan- 
tine brought  the  world  into  the  church,  and  the  church  was 
paralyzed.  .  .  .  The  body  existed,  but  the  Spirit  had  fled. 
Constantine  set  up  an  immense  national  church,  but  the 
humility,  faith,  and  the  spirituality  of  the  age  of  Polycarp 
had  passed  away."— Pages  198,  199. 

Reverend  Jones  says:  "Now  they  began  to  new-model  the 
Christian  church,  the  government  of  which  was,  as  far  as 
possible  arranged  conformably  to  the  government  of  the  state. 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  129 

The  emperor — Constantino,  himself  assumed  the  title  of  bishop 
and  claimed  the  power  of  regulating  its  external  affairs  and 
he  and  his  successors  convened  councils  in  which  they  pre- 
sided, and  determined  all  matters  of  discipline." — Gospel 
Reflector,  p.  10. 

Barton  W.  Stone  says:  "By  a  comparison  of  the  present 
state  of  Christianity  with  what  it  was  once,  all  are  brought  to 
the  conclusion  that  we  are  yet  in  the  apostasy — under  the 
reign  of  the  man  of  sin ;  yet  in  Babylon,  yet  in  the  wilderness." 
— Presidency  and  Priesthood,  p.  97. 

Rev.  A.  Campbell  says:  "Since  the  full  development  of  the 
great  apostasy  foretold  by  prophets  and  apostles,  numerous 
attempts  at  reformation  have  been  made.  .  .  .  But  we  know 
of  none  that  has  fully  attained  to  that  model." — Preface  to 
the  Saint  Louis  Edition  of  Christian  System,  pp.  291,  292. 

Rev.  T.  A.  Goodwin,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  February  23,  1890,  said:  "For 
more  than  seventeen  hundred  years  the  church  has  been 
tinkering  at  her  creeds  until  they  are  a  theological  hodge 
podge,  in  many  cases  widely  departing  from  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  Saints.  .  .  .  What  of  Methodism  and  some 
other  creeds,  for  nearly  three  hundred  years  they  have  been 
quartered  in  a  house  of  theological  patchwork.  The  whole 
needs  to  be  torn  down  and  reconstructed  from  cellar  to  garret, 
so  as  to  make  a  systematical  and  congruous  structure  con- 
sistent with  itself  and  the  Bible." — Indianapolis  Herald. 

Rev.  Dr.  B.  Colman,  a  Congregational  minister,  says:  "The 
confession  of  the  name  of  Christ  is  after  all  very  lame  and 
will  be  so  till  the  discipline  which  Christ  ordained  be  restored." 
— Episcopalian  Watchman,  May  2,  182p,  pp.  51,  52. 

Rev.  R.  Williams,  a  Baptist  minister,  says:  "'I  conceive 
that  the  apostasy  of  anti-Christ  hath  so  far  corrupted  all, 
that  there  can  be  no  recovery  out  of  that  apostasy  till  Christ 
shall  send  forth  new  apostles  to  plant  churches  anew.'— 
Knowles'  History,  p.  172." — Presidency  and  Priesthood,  p. 
235. 

"Rev.  T.  G.  Jones,  D.  D.,  in  his  History  of  the  Origin  and 
Continuity  of  the  Baptist  Church,  says:  *As  a  visible  and 


130  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

located  organization,  where  is  the  church  founded  at  Jeru- 
salem? For  long  ages  it  has  ceased  to  exist,  in  member  di- 
gesta.' — Page  46."  (Quoted  from  Presidency  and  Priesthood, 
p.  124.) 

"Second  Thessalonians  2:3:  'Except  there  come  a  falling 
away  first.'  We  have  the  original  word  apostasia  in  our  word 
apostasy;  and  by  this  term  we  understand  a  dereliction  of  the 
essential  principles  of  religious  truth — either  a  total  abandon- 
ment of  Christianity  itself,  or  such  a  corruption  of  its  doc- 
trines as  renders  the  whole  system  completely  inefficient  to 
salvation." — Adam  Clark,  Bible  Commentary,  vol.  6,  p.  1565. 

John  Wesley  says:  "It  does  not  appear  that  these  extraor- 
dinary gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  were  common  in  the  church 
for  more  than  two  or  three  centuries.  We  seldom  hear  of 
them  after  that  fatal  period,  when  Emperor  Constantine  called 
himself  a  Christian;  and  from  a  vain  imagination  of  pro- 
moting the  Christian  cause  thereby,  heaped  riches  and  power 
and  honor  upon  the  Christians  in  general;  but  in  particular 
upon  the  Christian  clergy.  From  this  time  they  almost  totally 
ceased;  very  few  instances  of  the  kind  were  found.  The 
cause  of  this  was  not  (as  has  been  vulgarly  supposed)  'be- 
cause there  was  no  more  occasion  for  them,'  because  all  the 
world  had  become  .Christian.  This  is  a  miserable  mistake; 
not  a  twentieth  part  of  it  was  then  nominally  Christian.  The 
real  cause  was,  'the  LOVE  of  many,'  almost  of  all  Christians, 
so-called,  was  'WAXED  COLD.'  The  Christians  had  no  more  of 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  than  the  other  heathens.  .  .  .  This  was 
the  real  cause.  .  .  .  The  Christians  had  turned  heathen  again 
and  had  only  a  dead  form  left." — Ninety-fourth  sermon,  p. 
266,  vol.  2. 

Dr.  T.  DeWitt  Talmage,  on  the  need  of  a  new  creed,  said: 
"I  am  sorry  to  have  the  question  disturbed  at  all.  The  creed 
did  not  hinder  us  from  offering  the  pardon  and  comfort  of  the 
gospel  to  all  men,  and  the  Westminster  Confession  has  not 
interfered  with  me  one  minute.  But  now  that  the  electric 
lights  have  been  turned  on,  the  imperfections  of  creed — and 
everything  that  man  fashions  is  imperfect — let  us  put  the 
old  creed  respectfully  aside  and  get  a  brand  new  one.  I 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  131 

move  for  a  creed  for  all  our  denominations  made  out  of 
Scripture  quotations  pure  and  simple." — Globe-Democrat, 
March  3,  1890. 

Rev.  Mr.  Campbell  says:  "Under  the  present  administra- 
tion of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  a  great  apostasy  has  occurred, 
as  foretold  by  the  apostles.  As  the  church,  compared  to  a  city, 
is  called  'Mount  Zion,'  the  apostate  church  is  called  'Babylon 
the  Great.'  Like  Babylon  the  type,  'Mystery  Babylon,'  the 
antitype,  is  to  be  destroyed  by  a  Cyrus  that  knows  not  God. 
She  is  to  fall  by  the  sword  of  infidels,  supported  by  the  fierce 
judgments  of  God.  'The  Holy  City'  is  still  trodden  under  foot, 
and  the  sanctuary  is  filled  with  corruptions.  It  is,  indeed,  a 
den  of  thieves;  but  strong  is  the  Lord  that  judges  the  apostate 
city." — Christian  System,  p.  190,  second  edition,  published  at 
Saint  Louis,  Missouri. 

J.  H.  Merle  D'Aubigne  says:  "But  the  writings  of  these 
very  apostles  forewarn  us  that  from  the  midst  of  these  breth- 
ren, there  shall  arise  a  power  which  shall  overthrow  this  sim- 
ple and  primitive  order." — Page  2. 

"The  living  church  retiring  by  degrees  to  the  lonely  sanc- 
tuary of  a  few  solitary  souls, — an  exterior  church  was  sub- 
stituted in  place  of  it,  and  installed  in  all  its  forms  as  of 
divine  institution.  Salvation  no  longer  flowing  forth  from  that 
word  which  was  now  hidden — it  began  to  be  affirmed  that  it 
was  conveyed  by  means  of  certain  invented  forms,  and  that 
none  could  obtain  it  without  resorting  to  such  means." — 
Page  3. 

"An  edict  of  Theodosius  2,  and  of  Valentinian  3,  proclaimed 
the  bishop  of  Rome  'ruler  of  the  whole  church.'  " — Page  4. 

"Works  of  penance,  thus  substituted  for  the  salvation  of 
God,  multiplied  in  the  church  from  the  time  of  Tertullian  to 
the  thirteenth  century." — Page  8. 

"The  kingdom  of  heaven  had  disappeared;   and  men  had 
opened  in  its  place  on  earth,  a  market  of  abominations. "- 
Page  12. 

"The  internal  strength  of  the  church  was  gone,  and  its  life- 
.  less  and  exhausted  frame  lay  stretched  over  the  Roman  world." 
—Page  14. 


132  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

"The  popes  had  added  now  this,  and  now  that  article  to  the 
Christian  doctrine.  They  had  changed  or  removed  only  what 
could  not  be  made  to  square  with  their  hierarchy;  what  was 
not  opposed  to  their  policy,  was  allowed  to  remain  during 
pleasure." — Page  17. 

"The  Lord  has  wrought  in  you,  that  the  light  of  his  holy 
word  may  again  shine  forth  in  Germany,  where,  for  so  many 
ages,  it  has  been,  alas!  not  only  stifled,  but  extinct." — Page  30. 

WAS  IT  A  TRUTH  THAT  THE  CHURCHES  WERE 
WRONG? 

Joseph  Smith,  a  young  man  in  his  fifteenth  year,  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  a  resident  of  Palmyra,  went  into  the 
woods  in  1820,  to  pray;  and  while  engaged  in  prayer,  he  says: 
"I  saw  two  personages,  (whose  brightness  and  glory  defy  all 
description,)  standing  above  me  in  the  air.  One  of  them  spake 
unto  me,  calling  me  by  name,  and  said,  (pointing  to  the  other,) 
'This  is  my  beloved  Son;  hear  him.'  My  object  in  going  to 
inquire  of  the  Lord,  was  to  know  which  of  all  these  sects  was 
right,  that  I  might  know  which  to  join.  ...  I  asked  the  per- 
sonages who  stood  above  me  in  the  light,  which  of  all  the 
sects  was  right — for  at  this  time  it  had  never  entered  into  my 
heart  that  all  were  wrong — and  which  I  should  join.  I  was 
answered  that  I  must  join  none  of  them,  for  they  were  all 
wrong;  and  the  personage  who  addressed  me  said  that  all 
their  creeds  were  an  abomination  in  his  sight;  that  those  pro- 
fessors were  all  corrupt.  'They  draw  near  me  with  their  lips, 
but  their  hearts  are  far  from  me;  they  teach  for  doctrine  the 
commandments  of  men,  having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  they 
deny  the  power  thereof.'  " — Church  History,  vol.  1,  pp.  9,  10. 

CONFIRMING  THE   STATEMENT   OF   JOSEPH    SMITH. 

Rev.  J.  D.  Williamson  said  before  the  presbytery  at  Cleve- 
land, Ohio:  "To  suppose  that  those  Westminster  divines 
reached  the  high  watermark  of  biblical  statements  of  truth 
is  to  my  mind  preposterous." — Cleveland  Plain  Dealer,  Octo- 
ber 8,  1899. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  133 

Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Van  Dyke,  a  Presbyterian,  said:  "Why 
should  we  retain  in  our  creed  what  none  of  us  believe,  what 
all  our  teachers  of  theology  reject,  and  what  serves  only  to 
bring  reproach  upon  our  doctrine  among  them  that  are  with- 
out?"— Presidency  and  Priesthood,  p.  210. 

Philip  Schaff,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  said:  "We  need  a  theology 
and  a  confession  that  is  more  human  than  Calvinism.  .  .  . 
These  doctrines  are  no  longer  believed  by  a  majority  of  Pres- 
byterians, nor  preached  by  any  Presbyterian  minister,  as  far 
as  I  know."— Ibid.,  pp.  210,  211. 

Rev.  David  Swing,  of  Chicago,  February  1,  1874,  said  in 
his  sermon  at  the  dedication  of  the  Presbyterian  church:  "The 
kingdom  of  the  Lord  has,  either  by  accident  or  design,  been 
broken  up  into  many  fragments  and  we  meet  to-day  in  the 
name  of  only  one  of  these  numerous  and  widely  scattered 
parts.  .  .  .  Until  the  wise  men  have  shown  us  that  all  these 
sects  must  be  solved  into  one,  let  us  feel  that  we  are  only  one 
among  a  multitude  of  these  kingdoms  of  God.  This  house 
which  we  dedicate  to  God  this  day  wears  the  name  of  Presby- 
terian upon  its  party  flag,  not  because  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
is  Presbyterian,  but  because  our  form  of  church  government 
and  of  thought  are  cast  in  the  Presbyterian  mold." — Chicago 
Tribune,  1874. 

"The  present  popular  exhibition  of  the  Christian  religion 
is  a  compound  of  Judaism,  heathen  philosophy,  and  Chris- 
tianity."— Christian  Baptist,  p.  9. 

"The  worshiping  establishments  now  in  operation  through- 
out Christendom,  increased  and  cemented  by  their  respective 
voluminous  confessions  of  faith,  and  their  ecclesiastical  con- 
stitutions, are  not  churches  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  the  legitimate 
daughters  of  that  mother  of  harlots,  the  church  of  Rome."- 
Millennial  Harbinger,  vol.  3,  p.  362. 

"I  read,  some  time  since,  of  a  revival  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  in  which  the  Spirit  of  God  was  represented  as  being 
abundantly  poured  out  on  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  and  Bap- 
tists. I  think  the  converts  in  the  order  of  the  names  were 
about  three  hundred  Presbyterians,  three  hundred  Methodists, 
and  two  hundred  and  eighty  Baptists,  .  .  .  these  being  all 


134  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

regenerated  without  any  knowledge  of  the  gospel.  ...  I  think 
it  would  be  difficult  to  prove  that  the  Spirit  of  God  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  the  aforesaid  revival." — Christian  Baptist, 
p.  50. 

"A  reformation  of  popery  was  attempted  in  Europe,  full 
three  centuries  ago.  It  ended  in  a  Protestant  hierarchy,  and 
swarms  of  dissenters.  Protestantism  has  been  reformed  into 
Presbyterianism — that  into  Congregationalism — and  that  into 
Baptistism,  etc.,  etc.  Methodism  has  attempted  to  reform  all, 
but  has  reformed  itself  into  many  forms  of  Wesley  ism.  None 
of  these  has  begun  at  the  right  place.  All  of  them  retain  in 
their  bosom,  in  their  ecclesiastical  organizations,  worship, 
doctrine,  and  observances,  various  relics  of  popery;  they  are 
at  best  but  a  reformation  of  popery." — Ibid.,  p.  15. 

"The  Baptists,  too,  have  got  their  schools,  their  colleges, 
and  their  Gamaliels,  too — and  by  the  magic  of  the  marks  of 
the  beast,  they  claim  homage  and  respect,  and  dispute  the 
high  places  with  those  very  rabbis  whose  fathers  were  wont 
to  grin  at  their  fathers." — Millennial  Harbinger,  vol.  1,  p.  15. 

"Protestantism  characterizes  Romanism  as  the  'great  apos- 
tasy,' and  of  this  fact  there  can  be  no  doubt  according  to  the 
language  of  the  Apostle  John;  but  John  calls  Rome  'the 
mother  of  harlots.'  And  how  can  she  be  a  mother  without 
having  daughters?  And  who  are  the  daughters?  Answer: 
The  Protestant  sects;  and  the  difference  between  mother  and 
daughters  is  made  manifest  in  the  fact  that  while  the  mother 
of  harlots  affiliates  with  paganism  in  its  grosser  forms,  the 
daughters,  arrayed  in  meretricious  ornaments,  and  exhaling 
sweeter  perfumes,  are  found  confederating  with  paganism  in 
its  subtler  forms." — Christian  Leader,  October  6,  1896. 

THE    RESTORATION    LOOKED    FOR. 

John  Wesley  says:  "The  times  which  we  have  reason  to 
believe  are  at  hand  (if  they  are  not  already  begun)  are  what 
many  pious  men  have  termed  the  time  of  'the  latter  day 
glory,' — meaning,  the  time  wherein  God  would  gloriously  dis- 
play his  power  and  love,  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  gracious 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  135 

promise  that,  'the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth, 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.'  .  .  .  Neither  he,  nor  the  gen- 
erality of  Christians,  so-called,  saw  any  signs  of  the  glorious 
day  that  is  approaching.  But  how  is  this  to  be  accounted 
for?  How  is  it  that  those  who  can  now  'discern  the  face  of 
the  sky,'  ...  do  not  discern  the  signs  of  these  glorious  times, 
which,  if  not  begun,  are  nigh  even  at  the  door?  .  .  .  They 
can  see  no  signs  at  all  of  God's  arising  to  maintain  his  own 
cause,  and  set  up  his  kingdom  over  all  the  earth.  .  .  .  What 
could  God  have  done  which  he  hath  not  done,  to  convince  you 
that  the  day  is  coming,  that  the  time  is  at  hand,  when  he 
will  fulfill  his  glorious  promises,  when  he  will  arise  to  main- 
tain his  own  cause,  and  to  set  up  his  kingdom  over  all  the 
earth?" — Seventy-first  sermon,  vol.  2,  pp.  95,  96,  98. 

Sir  Isaac  Newton  said:     "About  the  time  of  the  end,  in  all 
probability,  a  body  of  men  will  be  raised  up  who  will  turn 
their  attention  to  the  prophecy;  and  insist  upon  their  literal 
fulfillment  in  the  midst  of  much  clamor  and  opposition. "- 
William  Newton,  Lecture  on  Daniel,  p.  201. 

Rev.  Dr.  B.  Colman  says:  "The  confession  of  the  name  of 
Christ  is  after  all  very  lame  and  will  be  so  till  the  discipline 
which  Christ  ordained  be  restored." — E.  W.,  pp.  51,  52. 

Alexander  Campbell  said:  "The  primitive  gospel  in  its 
effulgence  and  power  is  yet  to  shine  out  in  its  original  splendor 
to  regenerate  the  world." — Hayden's  History,  p.  37. 

Alexander  Campbell:  "Societies  indeed  may  be  found 
among  us  far  in  advance  of  others  in  their  progress  towards 
the  ancient  order  of  things,  but  we  'know  of  none  that  has 
fully  attained  to  that  model." — Christian  System,  pp.  291,  292. 
second  edition. 

"But  the  preparation  of  a  people  for  the  coming  of  the 
Lord  must  be  the  result  of  the  restoration  of  the  ancient  gos- 
pel and  order  of  things." — Ibid.,  p.  311,  published  at  Saint 
Louis,  Missouri. 

Rev.  Roger  Williams :  "  'There  can  be  no  recovery  out  of 
that  apostasy  till  Christ  shall  send  forth  new  apostles  to 
plant  churches  anew.' — Knowlis  History,  p.  172." — Presidency 
and  Priesthood,  pp.  109,  110. 


136  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Alexander  Campbell  said:  "Some  new  revelation  or  some 
new  development  of  the  revelation  of  God  must  be  made,  be- 
fore the  hopes  and  expectations  of  all  true  Christians  can  be 
realized  or  Christianity  save  and  reform  the  nations  of 
this  world?  We  want  the  old  gospel  back  and  sustained  by 
the  ancient  order  of  things  and  this  alone  by  the  blessing  of 
the  divine  Spirit  is  all  we  do  want,  or  can  expect,  to  reform 
and  save  the  world.  And  if  this  gospel  as  proclaimed  and 
enforced  on  Pentecost  can  not  do  this,  vain  are  the  hopes, 
and  disappointed  must  be  the  expectation  of  the  so-called 
Christian  world." — Christian  System,  p.  250,  published  at 
Saint  Louis,  Missouri. 

Alexander  Campbell  says:  "If  Christians  were  and  may 
be  the  happiest  people  that  ever  lived,  it  is  because  they  live 
under  the  most  gracious  institution  ever  bestowed  on  men. 
The  meaning  of  this  institution  has  been  buried  under  the 
rubbish  of  human  traditions  for  hundreds  of  years.  It  was 
lost  in  the  Dark  Ages  and  has  never  been,  till  recently,  dis- 
interred. Various  efforts  have  been  made,  and  considerable 
progress  attended,  them;  but  since  the  Grand  Apostasy  was 
completed,  till  the  present  generation,  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  has  not  been  laid  open  to  mankind  in  its  original  plain- 
ness, simplicity  and  majesty.  A  veil  in  reading  the  New  In- 
stitution has  been  on  the  hearts  of  Christians  as  Paul  declares 
it  was  upon  the  hearts  of  the  Jews  in  reading  the  old  Institu- 
tion toward  the  close  of  that  economy." — Christian  System,  pp. 
192,  193,  published  at  Saint  Louis,  Missouri. 

"The  preaching  that  is  to  bring  America  into  the  fellow- 
ship of  the  apostolic  church  must  be  accompanied  by  a 
revival  of  apostolic  gifts,  and  I  believe  it  will  be." — Rev. 
Lewis  T.  Wattson,  in  Pulpit  of  the  Cross. 

"And  should  the  apostolic  church  finally  be  reproduced, 
thereby  bringing  Christ  to  the  earth  again  in  personal  power 
and  rest-giving  influence,  what  would  then  be  the  prospect 
before  us?  .  .  .  The  full  realization  of  this  splendid  ideal  is 
what  the  world  is  waiting  for,  and  until  it  is  realized  we 
must  continue  to  trust,  pray,  labor,  hope,  and  patiently  wait." 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  137 

— W.  T.  Moore,  in  The  Christian  Evangelist,  December  18, 
1890. 

DARKNESS  SO  THICK  THAT  IT.  CAN  BE  FELT. 

"At  Salem  an  intelligent  writer  said:  'Perhaps  it  was 
never  darker  since  the  children  of  Israel  left  the  house  of 
bondage.'  Dr.  Samuel  Adams  and  Hon.  Wheeler  Morten,  and 
others  also,  testify  that  'it  could  be  felt  on  waving  the  hand 
in  the  air' — the  same  language  used  by  Moses  concerning  the 
supernaturally  and  miraculously  produced  cloud  that  shut 
down  over  Egypt,  causing  a  thick  darkness  of  three  days' 
duration." — Facts  of  the  Times,  p.  283. 

"Stretch  out  thine  hand  toward  heaven,  that  there  may 
be  darkness  over  the  land  of  Egypt,  even  darkness  which  may 
be  felt."— Exodus  10:  21. 

"Could  feel  the  vapor  of  darkness." — Book  of  Mormon,  p. 
625. 

INDICATION   OF   A   CHANGE   IN   THE   CLIMATE,  AT 
SOME  PERIOD  OF  THE  PAST. 

Prof.  John  T.  Short  says:  "The  next  stratum  is  from 
three  to  four  feet  in  thickness,  and  consisted  of  a  brown 
alluvium  of  the  Eocene  region,  and  was  composed  of  vegetable 
matters  of  a  tropical  production.  It  contained  all  the  re- 
mainder of  the  skeleton.  Most  of  these  vegetables  were  in 
a  great  state  of  preservation  and  consisted  of  a  large  quantity 
of  cypress  burs,  wood  and  bark,  tropical  cane,  ferns,  pal- 
metto leaves,  several  stumps  of  trees,  and  even  the  greater 
part  of  a  flower  of  the  strelitzia  class,  which,  when  destroyed, 
was  not  full  bloom.  .  .  .  These  various  matters  had  been  torn 
up  by  their  roots  and  twisted  and  split  into  a  thousand  pieces 
apparently  by  lightning  combined  with  a  tremendous  tempest 
or  tornado;  and  all  were  involved  in  one  common  ruin." — 
American  Antiquities,  pp.  118,  119.  Edition  of  1880.  (Book 
of  Mormon,  pp.  624,  625.) 

Larkin's  Ancient  Man  in  America,  published  in  1880,  page 
19,  says :  "My  theory  that  the  prehistoric  races  used,  to  some 


138  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

extent,  the  great  American  elephant,  or  mastodon,  I  believe 
is  new,  and  no  doubt  will  be  considered  visionary  by  many 
readers,  and  more  especially  by  prominent  archaeologists. 
Finding  the  form  of  an  elephant  engraved  upon  a  copper 
relic  some  six  inches  long  and  four  wide,  in  a  mound 
on  the  Red  House  Creek,  in  the  year  1854,  and  represented  in 
harness  with  a  sort  of  breast  collar  with  tugs  reaching  past 
the  hips,  first  led  me  to  adopt  the  theory." — American  Archae- 
ology, p.  75. 

Dana  says:  "Viewing  the  globe  as  a  whole,  in  this  Quater- 
nary era,  we  observe,  1.  The  gigantic  size  as  well  as  large 
numbers  of  the  species, — the  elephants,  lions,  bears,  and 
hyenas  of  the  Orient  far  larger  than  the  modern  kinds;  so 
also  the  horse,  elephant,  mastodon,  beaver,  and  lion  of  North 
America." — Manual  of  Geology,  p.  571,  published  1880. 

TREPANNING    IN    ANCIENT    AMERICA. 

M.  D.  Nadaillac  says:  "Trepanned  skulls  have  also  been 
taken  from  a  mound  near  Sable  River,  .  .  .  They  were  often 
surgical,  and  made  upon  the  skull  of  the  living  (figure  218). 
Every  age  and  both  sexes  were  subject  to  them.  Their  posi- 
tion, form,  and  length  varied  according  to  the  wound  or  the 
nature  of  the  malady  they  were  supposed  to  relieve." — Pre- 
historic America,  pp.  510,  511,  edition,  1901. 

PUNCTUATION. 

Punctuation  is  a  matter  of  individuality. 

"It  has  become  a  recognized  principle,  that  punctuation  is 
as  much  a  matter  of  taste  and  judgment  as  of  rigid  rule." — 
Bigelow's  Handbook  of  Punctuation. 

"'Those  who  think  everything  in  the  Bible  inspired  of  God, 
including  its  divisions  into  chapters,  verses,  and  punctuation, 
should  read  the  following  and  profit  by  it: 

"Of  the  four  generally  used  points,  only  the  period  (.)  dates 
earlier  than  the  fifteenth  century.  The  colon  (:)  is  said  to 
have  been  first  introduced  about  1485;  the  comma  (,)  some 
thirty-five  years  later,  and  the  semicolon  ( ;)  about  1570. 

"Not  till  the  tenth  century  was  the  uncial  character  aban- 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  139 

doned,  and  the  cursive  or  running  hand  generally  adopted; 
but  it  was  felt  necessary  long  before  this  time  to  have  re- 
course to  something  like  punctuation.  This  is  indicated  in 
some  manuscripts  by  a  point  or  a  space,  and  in  others  by 
writing  the  text  in  short  lines,  according  to  the  sense.  The 
latter  system,  known  as  'stichometry'  was  introduced  in  the 
second  half  of  the  fifth  century,  while  punctuation  proper 
dates  no  farther  back  than  the  invention  of  printing  (1438)." 
— Bagster. 

"The  modern  came  into  use  very  gradually  after  the  in- 
vention of  printing,  the  comma,  parenthesis,  note  of  interro- 
gation, and  period  being  the  earliest  introduced,  and  the  note 
of  exclamation  the  last.  The  first  printed  books  have  only 
arbitrary  marks  here  and  there,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
sixteenth  century  that  an  approach  was  made  to  a  regular 
system  by  the  Manutii  of  Venice." — American  Encyclopedia, 
article  on  punctuation;  quoted  from  Facts  of  the  Times,  p. 
268. 

Quackenbos'  Rhetoric,  page  81:  "The  modern  system  of 
punctuation  was  invented  by  Manutius,  (Manutii)  a  learned 
printer  who  flourished  in  Venice  at  the  commencement  of  the 
sixteenth  century.  To  him  we  are  indebted  for  developing  the 
leading  principles  of  the  art,  though  in  some  of  their  details 
they  have  since  that  time  undergone  considerable  modifi- 
cation."—Ibid.,  pp.  268,  269. 

ANCIENT  RELIGION   OF   TRINITY. 

George  Rawlinson  says:  "Roman-gods — Minerva,  Jupiter, 
and  Juno.  The  three  together  form  the  Capitoline  Triad. 
.  .  .  The  only  theory  which  accounts  for  all  the  facts,  for  the 
unity  as  well  as  the  diversity  of  the  ancient  religion,  is  that 
of  a  primeval  revelation  variously  corrupted." — Ancient  Re- 
ligion, pp.  33,  176. 

Frederich  says :  "Greek  triad  of  Zeus,  Athene,  and  Apollo 
bears  an  unmistakable  analogy  to  the  Christian  trinity  of 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost."— Odyose,  part  3,  pp.  65,  68,  69. 

Malbet  says:     "They — the  Gomerites  of  Northern  Europe 


140  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

in  ancient  times — held  the  eternity  and  unchangeableness  of 
the  supreme  God.  Yet  the  supreme  gods  are  three — Odin, 
Freya,  and  Thor;  this  triad  of  gods  run  through  all  myth- 
ologies."— Northern  Antiquities. 

Osborn  says:  "Theirs  (Egyptians')  was  a  religion  of  self- 
justification — of  ritual.  They  had  dim  glimpses  of  God's 
unity  and  trinity.  Also  of  the  incarnation  of  deity." — Antiq- 
uities of  Egypt,  vol.  1,  p.  152. 

Professor  LePlongeon  says:  "The  idea  of  a  sole  and 
ominpotent  Deity,  who  created  all  things,  seems  to  have  been 
the  universal  belief  of  early  ages  and  among  all  the  nations 
that  had  reached  a  high  degree  of  civilization.  .  .  .  The  Hin- 
doos had  the  same  conception  about  a  Deity  as  was  held  by 
the  Egyptians,  .  .  .  that  there  are  only  three  gods,  and  that 
these  three  designate  one  sole  Deity.  .  .  .  These  conceptions 
concerning  the  triune  god  have  come  down  through  the  vista 
of  ages." — Sacred  Mysteries,  pp.  53,  55,  58. 

THE  CROSS  KNOWN  LONG  BEFORE  THE  CHRISTIAN 

ERA. 

Donnelly  says:  "From  the  dawn  of  organized  Paganism 
in  the  Eastern  World  to  the  final  establishment  of  Christianity 
in  the  Western,  the  cross  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  common- 
est and  most  sacred  of  symbolical  monuments;  and  to  a 
remarkable  extent,  it  is  so  still  in  almost  every  land  where 
that  of  Calvary  is  unrecognized  or  unknown.  .  .  .  All  these 
and  similar  traditions  are  but  mocking  satires  of  the  old 
Hebrew  story — jarred  and  broken  notes  of  the  same  strain. 
.  .  .  Its  undoubted  antiquity,  no  less  than  its  extraordinary 
diffusion,  evidence  that  it  must  have  been,  as  it  may  be  said  to 
be  still  in  unchristianized  lands,  emblematical  of  some  funda- 
mental doctrine  or  mystery.  ...  In  Egypt,  Assyria,  and  Britain 
it  was  emblematical  of  creative  power  and  eternity;  in  India, 
China,  and  Scandinavia,  of  heaven  and  immortality.  .  .  . 
In  both  hemispheres  it  was  the  common  symbol  of  the  resur- 
rection, or  sign  of  the  life  to  come;  and  finally  in  all  heathen 
communities,  without  exception,  it  was  the  emphatic  type, 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  141 

the  sole  enduring  evidence  of  the  divine  unity.  .  .  .  The 
Buddhists  and  Brahmans,  who  together  constitute  nearly  half 
the  population  of  the  world,  tell  us  that  the  decusated  figure 
(cross),  whether  in  a  simple  or  a  complex  form,  symbolizes 
the  traditional  happy  abode  of  their  primeval  ancestors.  .  .  . 
A  circle  and  a  cross;  the  one  to  denote  a  region  of  absolute 
purity  and  perpetual  felicity;  the  other,  those  four  peren- 
nial streams  that  divided  and  watered  the  several  quarters 
of  it"  (earth).— Atlantis,  pp.  317-323. 

Donnelly  says:  "It  was  the  symbol  of  symbols,  the  mys- 
tical Tan,  the  hidden  wisdom  not  only  of  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tian but  also  of  the  Chaldeans,  Phoenicians,  Mexicans,  Peru- 
vians, and  of  every  other  ancient  people.  .  .  .  Thus  it  was 
figured  on  the  gigantic  emerald  or  glass  statue  of  Serapis 
which  was  transported  293  B.  c.  .  .  .  destroyed  .  .  .  (by)  Theo- 
dosius  A.  D.  389  despite  the  earnest  entreaties  of  the  Egyp- 
tian priesthood  to  spare  it  because  it  was  the  emblem  of  their 
God  and  of  'the  life  to  come.'  "—Atlantis,  p.  319. 

Eusebius  says:  "The  very  name  of  Jesus,  as  also  that  of 
Christ,  was  honored  by  the  pious  prophets  of  old.  And  first, 
Moses  himself  having  intimated  how  exceedingly  august  and 
illustrious  the  name  of  Christ  is.  ...  But  the  prophets  that 
lived  subsequently  to  these  times  also  plainly  announced 
Christ  before  by  name." — Ecclesiastical  History,  pp.  21,  22. 

"Greek  cross  is  found  on  Assyrian  tablets,  on  Egyptian  and 
Persian  monuments,  on  early  Asiatic  and  Greek  coins  and  on 
Etruscan  pottery.  .  .  .  Latin  cross,  or  crux  immissa,  is  also 
found  on  coins,  medals,  and  monuments  anterior  to  Christ. 
.  .  .  Egyptian  (cross)  symbol  of  life.  .  .  .  This  is  a  symbol 
of  wonderful  diffusion.  It  is  the  sacred  emblem  of  Vishnu 
and  the  swastika  'of  the  Buddhist,  it  is  found  on  Celtic  monu- 
ments, on  Etruscan  Cinerary  urns  and  those  taken  by  Cesnola 
from  the  Phoenician  tombs  of  Cyprus.  .  .  .  The  Spanish  con- 
querors of  the  New  World  found  crosses  of  stone  and  wood 
erected  in  Mexico,  Central  and  South  America.  The  Muyscas 
and  the  Mayas  reverenced  it,  and  among  the  Toltecs  it  was 
called  the  'tree  of  nutriment,'  the  'tree  of  life.'  " — American 
Cyclopedia,  vol.  5,  p.  512. 


142  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Baldwin  says:  "The  cross,  even  the  so-called  Latin  cross, 
is  not  exclusively  a  Christian  emblem.  It  was  used  in  the 
Oriental  World  many  centuries  (perhaps  millenniums)  before 
the  Christian  era.  .  .  .  The  cross  is  found  in  the  ruins  of 
Nineveh.  Mr.  Layard,  describing  one  of  the  finest  specimens 
of  Assyrian  sculpture  (the  figure  of  'an  early  Nimrod  king'  he 
calls  it),  says:  'Round  his  neck  are  hung  the  four  sacred 
signs;  the  crescent,  the  star  or  sun,  the  trident,  and  the 
cross.'  " — Ancient  America,  pp.  109,  110. 

MODERN    MIRACLE. 

Attested  by  a  good  Methodist  minister:  "Ezra  Booth,  of 
Mantua,  a  Methodist  preacher  of  much  more  than  ordinary 
culture,  and  with  strong  natural  abilities,  in  company  with 
his  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson,  and  some  other  citizens  of 
this  place,  visited  Smith  at  his  home  in  Kirtland,  in  1831. 
Mrs.  Johnson  had  been  afflicted  for  some  time  with  a  lame 
arm,  and  was  not  at  the  time  of  the  visit  able  to  lift  her 
hand  to  her  head.  The  party  visited  Smith  partly  out  of 
curiosity,  and  partly  to  see  for  themselves  what  there  might 
be  in  the  new  doctrine.  During  the  interview,  the  conversa- 
tion turned  on  the  subject  of  supernatural  gifts,  such  as  were 
conferred  in  the  days  of  the  apostles.  Some  one  said,  'Here 
is  Mrs.  Johnson  with  a  lame  arm;  has  God  given  any  power 
to  men  now  on  earth  to  cure  her?'  A  few  moments  later, 
when  the  conversation  had  turned  in  another  direction,  Smith 
rose,  and  walking  across  the  room,  taking  Mrs.  Johnson  by 
the  hand,  said  in  the  most  solemn  and  impressive  manner: 
'Woman,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  I  command 
thee  to  be  whole,'  and  immediately  left  the  room.  The  company 
were  awe-stricken  at  the  infinite  presumption,  of  the  man,  and 
the  calm  assurance  with  which  he  spoke.  The  sudden  mental 
and  moral  shock — I  know  not  how  better  to  explain  the  well- 
attested  fact — electrified  the  rheumatic  arm — Mrs.  Johnson 
at  once  lifted  it  up  with  ease,  and  on  her  return  home  the 
next  day  she  was  able  to  do  her  washing  without  difficulty 
or  pain." — Hayden  History,  p.  250. 

Mr.  Kennedy,  in  his  book  on  Mormonism,  pages  121  and 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  143 

122,  verifies  the  statement,  and  adds:  "Upon  her  return 
home  she  discovered  that  she  could  use  it  equally  with  the 
other,  and  thus  it  remained  until  her  death,  fifteen  years 
later." — Quoted  from  White-Sewell  Debate,  p.  39. 

"DAYS,"   AS   USED   IN   THE    BIBLE,   MEANS   YEARS. 

"Forty  days,  each  day  for  a  year,  shall  ye  bear  your  iniqui- 
ties, even  forty  years." — Numbers  14 :  34. 

"I  have  appointed  thee  each  day  for  a  year." — Ezekiel  4 :  6. 

"Mr.  Wintle  has  shown  that  both  the  New  Testament  and 
classic  writers  use  times  (or  seasons)  for  years;  so  we  some- 
times say  so  many  summers  or  winters.  These  years  usually 
consisted  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  days,  prophetically  used 
for  years.  Thus  three  years  and  a  half,  or  twelve  hundred 
and  sixty  days,  will  stand  for  so  many  years." — Cottage 
Bible  (quoted  from  Facts  for  the  Times,  p.  38). 

Alexander  Campbell:  "A  time  is  one  revolution  of  the 
earth."— Ibid. 

Professor  Bush :  "Nay,  I  am  even  ready  to  go  so  far  as  to 
say  that  I  do  not  conceive  your  errors  on  the  subject  of 
chronology  to  be  at  all  of  a  serious  nature,  or  in  fact  to  be 
very  wide  of  the  truth.  In  taking  a  day  as  the  prophetical 
term  for  the  year,  I  believe  you  are  sustained  by  the  soundest 
exegesis,  as  well  as  fortified  by  the  high  names  of  Mede, 
Sir  Isaac  Newton,  Bishop  Newton,  Kirby,  Scott,  Keith,  and 
a  host  of  others  who  have  long  since  come  to  substantially 
your  conclusions  on  this  head." — Advent  Library,  no.  44,  p. 
6;  Ibid.,  pp.  38,  39. 

Barnes:  "Revelation  12:  6:  'A  thousand  two  hundred  and 
threescore  days.'  That  is  regarding  these  as  prophetic  days,  in 
which  a  day  denotes  a  year,  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years. 
The  same  period  evidently  is  referred  to  in  verse  14,  in  the 
words,  'for  a  time,  times,  and  a  half  a  time';  and  the  same 
period  is  undoubtedly  referred  to  in  Daniel  7:  25,  'And  they 
shall  be  given  into  his  hand  until  a  time,  and  times,  and 
the  dividing  of  time.'  " — Ibid.,  p.  40. 

Bagster:  "Until  a  time  (i.  e.,  a  year),  times  (two  years), 
and  the  dividing  of  time  (i.  e.,  half  a  year),  making,  in  the 


144  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

whole,  three  prophetic  years  and  a  half;  or  reckoning  thirty 
days  to  a  month,  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days,  equal  to  the 
same  number  of  years  in  prophetic  language.": — Ibid. 

Scott:  "Thus  matters  would  be  left  in  his  hands  a  'time, 
and  times,  and  the  dividing  of  time';  that  is,  for  three  years 
and  a  half,  or  forty-two  months,  which,  reckoning  thirty  days 
to  a  month  (and  that  was  the  general  computation),  make 
just  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days,  and  those  prophetical 
days  signify  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years,  a  number  which 
we  shall  repeatedly  meet  with  in  the  Revelation  of  Saint 
John." — Ibid.,  pp.  40,  41. 

Sir  Isaac  Newton:  "The  sanctuary  and  host  were  trampled 
under  foot  twenty-three  hundred  days  (verse  14),  and  in 
Daniel's  prophecies  days  are  put  for  years." — Ibid.,  p.  48. 

Bagster:  "Two  thousand  and  three  hundred  days  (see 
margin) ,  that  is  two  thousand  and  three  hundred  years." 
—Ibid. 

Bishop  Newton  :"Two  thousand  three  hundred  years  .  .  . 
may  properly  enough  be  said  to  be  for  many  days." — Ibid. 

Scott:  "It  is  universally  allowed  that  the  seventy  weeks 
here  mentioned  mean  'seventy  weeks'  of  years.;  that  is  four 
hundred  and  ninety  years." — Ibid. 

Rev.  Joseph  S.  C.  F.  Frey  (a  Jew)  :  "That  the  seventy 
weeks  mentioned  are  weeks  of  years,  i.  e.,  every  week  seven 
years,  making  in  the  whole  four  hundred  and  ninety  years, 
is  agreed  both  by  Jewish  and  Christian  commentators." — 
Ibid.,  pp.  49,  50. 

THE    PROPER    METHOD    OF    INTERPRETING    GOD'S 

WORD. 

"Whoso  readeth,  let  him  understand." — Jesus. 

"No  prophecy  of  the  Scripture  is  of  any  private  interpreta- 
tion."—Peter. 

"Words  which  admit  of  different  senses  should  be  taken 
in  their  most  common  and  obvious  meaning,  unless  such  a 
construction  leads  to  absurd  consequences,  or  be  inconsistent 
with  the  known  intention  of  the  writer."  -Hedge's  Logic 
(Quoted  from  Facts  for  the  Times,  pp.  10,  11). 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  145 

Bishop  Jeremy  Taylor:  "In  all  the  interpretations  of  scrip- 
ture, the  literal  sense  is  to  be  presumed  and  chosen,  unless 
there  be  evident  cause  to  the  contrary." — Ibid.,  p.  11. 

Prof.  J.  A.  Ernesti:  "There  is  in  fact  but  one  and  the 
same  method  of  interpretation  common  to  all  books,  whatever 
be  their  subject." — Ibid. 

Vitringa:  "We  must  never"  depart  from  the  literal  mean- 
ing of  the  subject  mentioned  in  its  own  appropriate  name." 
—Ibid.,  p.  12. 

Dr.  John  Pye  Smith:  "The  common  rule  of  all  rational 
interpretation;  viz,  the  sense  afforded  by  a  cautious  and  criti- 
cal examination  of  the  terms  of  the  passage,  and  an  impartial 
construction  of  the  whole  sentence  according  to  the  known 
usage  of  the  language  and  the  writer." — Ibid. 

"Language  is  used  literally  and  figuratively,  but  it  can 
not  therefore  be  said  that  language  has  a  literal  and  a  figura- 
tive meaning.  The  figurative  use  must  conform  to  the  literal 
signification,  otherwise  we  could  no  more  judge  of  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  figure  than  if  the  terms  used  had  no  meaning." 
—Ibid. 

Dr.  Clarke:  "Without  all  controversy,  the  literal  meaning 
is  that  which  God  would  have  first  understood.  .  .  .  Remember 
you  are  called  not  only  to  explain  the  things  of  God,  but  also 
the  words  of  God.  The  meaning  of  the  thing  is  found  in  the 
word." — Ibid.,  p.  12. 

Bridges,  on  "Christian  ministry,"  says:     "Inferences  from 
scripture  that  appear  to  be  strictly  legitimate  must  be  received 
with  the  greatest  caution,  or,  rather,  decidedly  rejected,  except 
as  they  are  supported  by  explicit   scripture  declaration. "- 
Ibid.,  p.  13. 

Martin  Luther:  "Let  the  Christian  reader's  first  object 
always  be  to  find  out  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word  of  God; 
for  this,  and  this  alone,  is  the  whoia  foundation  of  faith  and 
of  Christian  theology.  It  is  the  very  substance  of  -Chris- 
tianity."— Milner's  History,  vol.  5,  p.  460. 

William  Tyndale:  "No  man  dare  abide  the  literal  sense 
of  the  text  but  under  a  protestation,  if  it  please  the  pope. 
Thou  shalt  understand,  therefore,  that  the  scripture  hath  but 


146  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

one  sense,  and  that  is  the  literal  sense.  .  .  .  The  greatest  cause 
of  which  captivity  and  decay  of  faith,  and  this  blindness 
wherein  we  are  now,  sprang  from  allegories;  for  Origen, 
and  the  doctors  of  his  time,  drew  all  the  scriptures  into  alle- 
gory, insomuch  as  that  twenty  doctors  expounded  one  text 
twenty  different  ways.  .  .  .  Yea,  they  are  come  into  such 
blindness  that  they  not  only  say  the  literal  sense  profiteth 
not,  but  also  that  it  is  hurtful,  and  killeth  the  soul."- 
Works,  vol.  1,  p.  307.  Ibid.,  p.  11. 

PROPHECY    AND  WHEN  FULFILLED. 

"A  prophecy  is  demonstrated  to  be  fulfilled  when  we  can 
prove  from  unimpeachable  authority  that  the  event  has  actu- 
ally taken  place  precisely  according  to  the  manner  in  which 
it  was  foretold." — Home's  Introduction,  Compendium,  p.  147. 
(Quoted  from  Facts  of  the  Times,  p.  28.) 

PREJUDICE. 

J.  A.  Woods:  "The  verdict  of  an  English  jury,  was,  we  find 
and  present  Charles  Wesley,  to  be  a  person  of  ill-fame,  a  vaga- 
bond, and  a  common  disturber  of  his  Majesty's  peace;  and 
we  pray  he  may  be  transported." — Book  Perfect  Love,  p.  249. 

Lardner  says  of  the  early  Christians:  "That  besides 
atheist,  or  impiety  to  the  established  duties,  they  the  ancient 
Christians  were  charged  with  having  their  wives  in  common 
with  promiscuous  ludeness.  With  incest  and  cannibalism. 
That  they  were  generally  hated  for  their  wickedness." — Vol.  1, 
p.  240. 

"Jesus,"  he  says,  "was  born  of  a  poor  woman  who  subsisted 
by  the  labor  of  her  hands.  Condemned  of  adultery,  cast  off 
by  her  husband,  wandering  about  in  a  shameful  manner,  and 
giving  birth  to  Jesus  in  an  obscure  place.  And  he  (the  child) 
being  in  want  served  in  Egypt  for  a  livelihood;  becoming 
familiar  with  some  Egyptian  charms  he  returned  and  set 
himself  up  for  a  God.  Then  taking  ten  or  eleven  vile  publi- 
cans and  sailors  he  went  about  getting  his  living  in  a  bad 
and  shameful  manner." — Vol.  8,  p.  19. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  147 

ORIGIN   OF   THE   BAPTIST   CHURCH. 

Doctor  Cramp  says:  "There  has  been  much  dispute  re- 
specting the  manner  in  which  they  proceeded,  some  maintain- 
ing that  Smyth  baptized  himself  and  then  baptized  the  others. 
It  is  a  thing  of  small  consequence.  Baptists  do  not  believe 
in  apostolic  succession  as  it  is  commonly  held,  but  the  probabil- 
ity is  that  one  of  the  brethren  baptized  Mr.  Smyth,  and  that 
he  then  baptized  the  others.  ...  A  church  was  formed,  by 
Mr.  Smyth  and  he  was  chosen  pastor.  At  his  death,  which 
took  place  in  1611,  Mr.  Thomas  Helwys  was  appointed  in  his 
place." — Baptist  History,  by  Dr.  J.  M.  Cramp,  D.  D.,  p.  287. 

Rev.  D.  C.  Haynes  says:  "The  two  oldest  Baptist  churches 
in  the  United  States,  namely,  first  Providence  and  first  New- 
port, Rhode  Island,  who  still  dispute  the  honor  of  being  the 
older,  bear  date,  the  former,  A.  D.  1639,  and  the  latter,  A.  D. 
1644.  The  chain  of  Baptist  history  thus  crosses  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  connecting  the  two  countries.  .  .  .  Roger  Williams  flies 
from  Salem,  persecuted  by  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  and  after  a 
short  sojourn  with  the  Indians  in  their  native  forest,  founds 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island  and  the  city  of  Providence,  A.  D. 
1636.  He  was  accused,  before  leaving  Salem,  of  preaching 
doctrines  tending  to  ana-baptistry.  He  was  then  a  Presby- 
terian and  pastor  of  a  Presbyterian  church.  In  March,  1638- 
1639,  he  was  baptized  and  was  honored  with  being  the  apostle 
of  the  Baptist  in  America.  .  .  .  Roger  Williams  did  not  leave 
England  until  he  was  about  thirty-two  years  old.  .  .  .  He 
arrived  at  Nantucket,  near  Boston,  in  1630,  in  the  prime  of 
life,  with  an  excellent  reputation.  Governor  Winthrop,  speak- 
ing of  the  arrival  of  the  ship,  says:  'She  brought  Mr.  Wil- 
liams, a  goodly  minister,  and  his  wife.'  He  immediately  be- 
gins to  develop  the  principles  which  resulted  in  his  becoming  a 
Baptist  and  champion  of  soul  liberty,  and  a  sufferer  for 
conscience  sake.  Though  it  was  eight  years  later  before  he 
was  baptized  and  formed  the  first  baptist  church  in  America 
at  Providence." — Baptist  Denomination,  pp.  51,  52,  300. 

Rev.  D.  C.  Haynes  says:  "Rev.  J.  Newton  Brown,  D.  D.,  and 
.  .  .  author  of  the  Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge,  who 


148  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

has  given  much  attention  to  church  history  says:  'The  Baptists 
have  no  difficulty  whatever  in  tracing  up  their  principals  and 
churches  to  the  apostolic  age.  It  has  often  been  said  by 
our  enemies  that  we  originated  in  the  German  city  of  Munster, 
in  1534.  Lamentable  must  be  the  weakness  and  ignorance  of 
such  an  assertion,  come  from  whom  it  may.  It  were  easy 
to  recite  eminent  Pedo-Baptist  historians  to  refute  this  cal- 
umny— especially  Limbrach  and  Mosheim,  of  the  last  cen- 
tury.' " — Baptist  Denomination,  p.  24. 

Dr.  Thomas  Armitage  says:  "But  the  first  sign  of  a  church 
is  found  some  time  previous  to  March,  1639,  when  Williams 
and  eleven  others  were  baptized  and  a  Baptist  church  was 
formed  under  his  lead.  Hubbard  tells  us  that  he  was  baptized 
by  one  Holliman,  then  Mr.  Williams  baptized  him  and  some 
ten  more.  ...  In  the  baptism  of  these  twelve  we  find  a  case 
of  peculiar  necessity,  such  as  that  in  which  the  validity  of 
'lay-baptism'  has  never  been  denied.  ...  So  far  as  appears, 
there  was  not  a  baptist  minister  in  the  colony  at  the  time. 
Williams  was  an  ordained  minister  in  the  English  Episcopal 
Church,  and  had  been  reordained  at  Salem,  May,  1635,  after 
the  congregational  order." — History  of  the  Baptist,  pp.  658, 
659. 

Doctor  Benedict  says:  "This  church,  which  is  the  oldest 
of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  America,  was  formed  March, 
1639.  Its  first  members  were  twelve  in  number,  namely,  Roger 
Williams,  Ezekiel  Holliman,  Stuckley  Wescott,  John  Green, 
Richard  Waterman,  Thomas  James,  Robert  Cole,  William 
Carpenter,  Francis  Weston,  and  Thomas  Olney.  ...  As  the 
whole  company,  in  their  own  estimation,  were  unbaptized  and 
they  knew  of  no  administrator  in  any  of  the  infant  settlements 
to  whom  they  could  apply,  they  with  much  propriety  hit  upon 
the  following  expedient;  Ezekiel  Holliman,  a  man  of  gifts 
and  piety,  by  the  suffrage  of  the  little  company,  was  appointed 
to  baptize  Mr.  Williams,  who  in  return  baptized  Holliman 
and  the  other  ten."— Baptist  History,  p.  450. 

Doctor  Cramp  says:  "The  result  was,  however,  that  twelve 
men  declared  themselves  Baptist  in  principle.  Then  the 
question  arose,  How  were  they  to  be  baptized  since  .they  had 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  149 

no  minister?  They  might  have  been  sent  to  England  for  one, 
but  the  application  might  not  have  been  successful,  and  it 
would  have  involved  an  expense  which  they  were  ill  prepared 
to  meet,  besides  which,  a  long  delay  would  have  occurred. 

In  this  dilemma  they  adopted  the  only  expedient  that 
seemed  to  meet  the  case.  One  of  their  number,  Ezekiel  Holli- 
man,  was  chosen  to  baptize  Mr.  Williams,  who  then  baptized 
the  others.  This  was  in  March,  1639." — Baptist  History, 
p.  461. 

Doctor  Armitage  says:  "On  arriving  at  Amsterdam,  Smyth 
at  first  united  with  the  ancient  English  Separatists  church 
there,  in  charge  of  Johnson,  with  Ainsworth  as  teacher.  At 
that  time  the  Separatists  of  Amsterdam  were  in  warm  con- 
troversy on  the  true  nature  of  a  visible  church.  Smyth  pub- 
lished a  work  on  the  fallen  church,  entitled  The  Character  of 
the  Beast,  and  a  tractate  of  seventy-one  pages  against  infant 
baptism,  and  in  favor  of  believer's  baptism.  For  this  he  was 
disfellowshipped  by  the  first  church.  .  .  .  This  led  Smyth, 
Helwys,  Morton,  and  thirty-six  others  to  form  a  new  church, 
which  should  practice  believer's  baptism  and  reject  infant 
baptism.  Finding  themselves  unbaptized  they  were  in  a  strait. 
They  were  on  good  terms  with  the  Dutch  Baptist,  but  would 
not  receive  their  baptism  lest  this  should  recognize  them  as 
a  true  church;  for  they  believed  that  the  true  church  of 
Christ  had  perished.  .  .  .  He  believed  the  apostolic  church 
model  was  lost,  and  determined  on  its  recovery.  With  the 
design  of  restoring  this  pattern  he  baptized  himself  on  his 
faith  in  Christ,  in  1608,  then  baptized  Thomas  Helwys  with 
about  forty  others  and  so  formed  a  new  church  in  Amster- 
dam."—Pages  453,  454. 

Doctor  Cramp  says:  "The  Second  Baptist  Church  in  Rhode 
Island  was  formed  at  Newport,  in  1644,  by  Dr.  John  Clark 
and  eleven  others.  Doctor  Clark  became  the  pastor,  which 
office  he  resigned  in  1651,  when  he  accompanied  Roger  Wil- 
liams to  England  on  business  connected  with  the  charter  of 
the  colony.  He  was  succeeded  by  Obadiah  Holmes." — Page 
462. 

Doctor  Armitage  says:   "Clark,  who  was  born  in  Suffolk, 


150  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

England,  in  1609,  was  liberally  educated  and  practiced  as  a 
physician  in  London  for  a  long  time;  .  .  .  His  religious  and 
political  principles  led  him  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  New 
World  and  he  arrived  in  Boston,  November,  1637.  There  is 
no  evidence  that  he  was  a  Baptist  at  this  time,  but  rather  he 
seems  to  have  been  a  Puritan,  much  like  Roger  Williams, 
when  he  landed  there.  These  settlers  numbered  eighteen,  most 
of  them  being  Congregationalists,  and  members  of  Cotton's 
church  in  Boston,  but  some  of  them  were  under  its  censure 
for  imbibing  peculiar  views  of  Christian  doctrine.  .  .  .  As 
far  as  appears  none  of  them  were  Baptist.  ,  ,  .  It  is  not 
clear  whether  Clark  was  at  this  time  a  Congregational! st. 
But  they  formed  a  church  to  which  he  was  the  preacher, 
whether  or  not  he  was  the  pastor.  These  things  taken  to- 
gether lead  to  the  highly  probable  conclusion  that  Clark 
became  a  Baptist  somewhere  between  1640  and  1644." — Pages 
669-671. 

Again  he  says:  "True,  Williams  had  ceased  to  be  a  Bap- 
tist, when  the  Baptist  church  of  which  Clark  became  pastor, 
was  formed,  ...  he  could  not  have  baptized  Clark.  But 
other  elders  had  taken  the  church  that  Williams  had  left  and 
Clark  could  have  received  baptism  of  one  of  them  at  Provi- 
dence. .  .  .  Morgan  Edwards  writes  of  the  Newport  church: 
'It  is  said  to  have  been  a  daughter  of  Providence  church,  which 
was  constituted  about  six  years  before,  and  it  is  not  at  all 
unlikely  that  they  might  be  enlightened  in  the  affair  of  believ- 
er's baptism  by  Roger  Williams  and  his  company  for  whom 
they  had  the  greatest  kindness.  .  .  .  Clark,  its  first  minister, 
1644,  remained  pastor  till  1676,  when  he  died.  .  .  .  Tradition 
says  that  he  was  a  preacher  before  he  left  Boston,  but  that 
he  became  a  Baptist  after  his  settlement  in  Rhode  Island, 
by  means  of  Roger  Williams.'  " — Ibid.,  pages  671,  672. 

Rev.  W.  B.  Boggs,  D.  D.,  a  Baptist,  says:  "That  these 
two  officers,  bishop  and  deacon,  were  the  only  ones  recognized 
in  the  primitive  churches  seems  evident  from  Paul's  directions 
both  to  Timothy  and  Titus."— The  Baptist,  p.  33. 

Rev.  Edward  T.  Hiscox,  D.  D.,  says:  "The  history  of 
American  Baptists  goes  back  somewhat  more  than  two  hun- 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  151 

dred  years.  At  what  time  they  first  came  to  the  country  it 
is  impossible  to  say.  The  first  church  was  organized  at 
Providence,  Rhode  Island,  under  the  care  of  Roger  Williams, 
1639.  ...  As  there  was  no  Baptist  minister  in  the  colony, 
now  accessible,  Mr.  Williams  was  immersed  by  one  of  his 
associates,  a  layman,  when  he  in  turn  baptized  his  associates, 
and  organized  a  church  1639." — Baptist  Church  Directory, 
pp.  251,  252. 

Again  he  says:  "The  next  church  formed  was  in  Newport, 
in  1644."— Ibid.,  p.  252. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  ADVENTIST  CHURCH. 

Mr.  W.  N.  Glenn  says:  "William  Miller  was  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  .  .  .  and  was  licensed  to  preach  in  1833. 
I  believe  he  was  not  an  ordained  minister.  Elder  James  White 
was  a  member  of  the  Disciple  Church,  and  Mrs.  White  (then 
Ellen  G.  Harmon)  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
They  were  both  interested  in  the  movement  conducted  by  Mr. 
Miller." — From  Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt's  work  on  The  Origin  of  the 
Seventh  Day  Adventist  Church,  pp.  2,  3. 

"But  how  did  the  observance  of  the  seventh  day  become  a 
cardinal  feature  of  their  faith  and  practice?  The  primary 
causes  of  this  change  were  the  following:  Late  in  the  autumn 
of  1844,  the  time  of  which  we  have  been  speaking,  Mrs.  Rachel 
D.  Preston,  a  Seventh  Day  Baptist,  removed  from  the  State 
of  New  York  to  Washington,  New  Hampshire,  where  there 
was  a  flourishing  company  of  Adventists.  All  parties  were 
zealous  to  give  and  receive  new  light,  and  a  mutual  exchange 
of  views  took  place,  she  adopting  their  views  of  the  soon 
coming  of  the  Savior;  and  they,  by  faith  seeing  the  ark  con- 
taining the  ten  commandments  in  the  temple  in  heaven,  as 
a  part  of  their  views  of  prophecy,  were  all  ready  to  accept 
her  views  of  the  binding  obligation  of  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Decalogue,  and  to  begin  its  observance.  Thus  the  doctrine 
of  the  observance  of  the  seventh  day,  and  the  doctrine  of 
the  soon  coming  of  Christ,  came  together;  and  those  in  whom 
these  views  were  united,  thus  became  Seventh  Day  Adventists. 
The  first  church  of  Seventh  Day  Adventists  was  thus  de- 


152  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

veloped  in  Washington,  New  Hampshire,  in  the  last  three 
months  of  1844. 

"These  views  of  the  sanctuary  modified  and  enlarged  their 
views  of  prophecy  to  a  great  extent,  but  their  doctrines  did 
not  become  sufficiently  formulated  to  begin  to  constitute  a 
settled  system  of  belief  till  the  following  year,  or  1845,  which 
may  therefore  be  set  down  as  the  year  in  which  the  Seventh 
Day  Adventist  denomination  began." — Camp  Meeting  Journal, 
Sparta,  Wisconsin,  June,  1898.  (Quoted  in  Bishop  Hunt's  work 
above  cited,  pp.  4,  5.) 

Elder  J.  N.  Loughborough,  acting  church  historian,  Oak- 
land, California,  May  12,  1904,  says:  "Some  of  our  earliest 
ministers  were  those  who  had  been  ordained  to  the  gospel 
ministry  in  other  denominations,  and  went  forward  under  that 
ordination.  .  .  .  The  first  one  ordained  as  a  Seventh  Day  Ad- 
ventist minister  by  Seventh  Day  Adventists  was  myself.  This 
ordination  was  at  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  in  the  month  of 
June,  1854." 

J.  W.  Watt,  president  of  the  Vermont  conference  of  Ad- 
ventists, who  wrote  from  North  Walcott,  December  30,  1904, 
said:  "It  would  not  be  consistent  for  ministers  of  another 
denomination  to  ordain  a  man  to  eldership  in  a  Seventh  Day 
Adventist  church.  I  think  such  a  thing  would  be  entirely 
out  of  place."  (The  above  are  clippings  furnished  by  Bish- 
op C.  J.  Hunt,  and  certified  to  as  being  correct.) 

Editorial  in  Our  Hope,  published  at  Mendota,  Illinois,  May 
2,  1906,  which  gives  us  the  history  from  an  Advent  Christian 
standpoint:  "The  denominational  organization  of  our  people 
into  churches  and  conferences  was  a  matter  of  gradual  adop- 
tion, as  circumstances  forced  its  necessity  upon  them.  The 
preaching  of  William  Miller  and  his  cowo*kers  was  among  the 
churches  of  all  the  Protestant  denominations  reckoned  evan- 
gelical. A  great  many  preachers  and  devout  Christians  of 
all  faiths  accepted  the  Advent  message  and  retained  for  some 
time  their  connection  with  their  churches,  and  it  was  not  sup- 
posed at  first  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  organize  separately. 
A  call  for  a  general  conference  of  Adventual  believers,  "of 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  153 

the  United  States  and  elsewhere,"  to  meet  at  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, October  14,  1840,  at  10  o'clock  a.  m.,  brought  to- 
gether the  first  gathering  of  this  faith.  The  call  stated  that 
'The  object  of  the  conference  will  not  be  to  form  a  new  organi- 
zation in  the  faith  of  Christ,  nor  to  assail  others  of  our 
brethren  who  may  differ  from  us  in  regard  to  the  period 
and  manner  of  the  advent,  but  to  discuss  the  whole  subject 
faithfully  and  fairly  in  the  exercise  of  that  spirit  of  Christ 
in  which  it  will  be  safe  immediately  to  meet  him  at  the  judg- 
ment seat;  etc.'  An  Episcopal  clergyman  was  president  of 
that  conference,  a  Baptist  clergyman  made  the  opening  prayer, 
and  a  Methodist  minister  delivered  one  of  the  leading  ad- 
dresses. William  Miller  was  prevented  from  attending  by 
illness.  A  circular  address  of  considerable  length  was  adopted 
at  this  conference  and  published,  with  a  full  report,  and  was 
widely  scattered,  and  may  be  found  in  I.  C.  Wellcome's 
History  of  the  Second  Advent  Message,  chapter  8,  pages  176- 
197.  Other  general  conferences  followed,  of  the  same  unde- 
nominational character.  The  first  Adventist  camp  meeting 
was  held  in  Hadley,  Lower  Canada,  commencing  June  21, 
1842,  and  was  followed  June  29,  by  a  camp  meeting  at  East 
Kingston,  New  Hampshire. 

"Though  but  twenty-six  tents  were  erected,  the  attendance 
was  from  seven  to  ten  thousand  people  from  all  parts  of  New 
England,  and  the  contributions  offered  amounted  to  one  thou- 
sand dollars.  In  these  early  meetings  no  denominational 
lines  were  drawn  or  th/ought  of.  In  1843  a  movement  began 
among  various  denominations  to  expel  believers  in  the  soon 
coming  of  Christ.  .  .  .When  the  date  that  had  been  given 
(1844)  for  the  second  advent  went  by,  and  the  Lord  did  not 
appear,  this  opposition  grew  very  strong  against  all  who  had 
been  interested  in  Adventist  views.  .  .  .  Great  confusion  fol- 
lowed, and  many  opinions,  and  conflicting  views  were  held 
by  self-appointed  leaders  and  teachers,  until  what  is  called 
a  'Mutual  Conference'  was  called  at  Albany,  New  York,  for 
April  29,  1845.  At  this  conference  William  Miller  was  tem- 
porary chairman  and  Elder  J.  V.  Himes  secretary.  Its  object 
was  stated  to  be  'To  consult  together  respecting  the  condition 


154  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

and  wants  of  brethren  in  the  several  sections  of  the  country, 
that  we  may  be  better  enabled  to  act  in  concert,  and  with  more 
efficiency  in  the  promulgation  of  gospel  truths.'  After  per- 
fecting its  organization  by  electing  Rev.  Elon  Galusha,  of 
Lockport,  New.  York,  president;  and  Sylvester  Bliss  and  O. 
R.  Fassett,  secretaries;  the  conference  adopted  a  report  con- 
taining a  statement  of  important  truths,  and  a  recommenda- 
tion for  associated  action. 

"  'The  New  Testament  rules  for  the  government  of  the 
church'  were  declared  'binding  upon  the  whole  brotherhood  of 
Christ.'  And  any  congregation  of  believers  habitually  assem- 
bling for  the  worship  of  God  and  due  observance  of  gospel 
ordinances  was  declared  to  be  a  church  of  Christ.  A  plan  of 
operations  was  suggested  embracing  Sunday  schools  and  Bible 
class  instruction,  and  the  circulation  of  good  books  and  reli- 
gious literature,  and  the  brethren  were  recommended  to  accept 
as  ministers  and  teachers  only  those  who  had  scriptural  quali- 
fications as  to  outward  life  and  behavior,  and  who  taught  the 
unadulterated  word  of  God.  This  report  was  signed  by  Wil- 
liam Miller  as  chairman  of  the  committee  appointed  to  draft 
it,  and  was  the  beginning  of  the  denominational  organization 
of  the  Advent-Christian  people.  .  .  .  We  wish  here  to  say  that 
in  proclaiming  the  coming  of  Christ  to  the  world,  nothing 
was  further  from  our  thoughts  than  to  form  a  separate,  dis- 
tinct body  of  Christians;  it  never  came  into  our  hearts.  .  .  . 
It  is  the  writer's  conviction  that  the  Providence  of  God,  in 
view  of  the  opposition  of  the  recognized  denominations  to  Ad- 
ventual  truth,  called  out  the  Advent-Christian  people  to  bear 
witness  to  this  truth  and  proclaim  the  great  message  of  com- 
ing judgment  and  the  kingdom  of  God." 

The  following,  was  gathered  by  Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt:  "The 
Adventists  were  of  all  churches,  and  they  had  no  idea  of 
forming  another  church.  After 'the  time'  (1844)  passed,  there 
was  great  confusion,  and  the  majority  were  strongly  opposed 
to  any  organization,  holding  that  it  was  inconsistent  with  the 
perfect  liberty  of  the  gospel !  Mrs.  White  was  always  opposed 
to  every  form  of  fanaticism,  and  early  announced  that  some 
form  of  organization  was  necessary  to  prevent  and  correct 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  155 

confusion.  Few  at  the  present  time  can  appreciate  the  firm- 
ness which  was  then  required  to  maintain  her  position  against 
the  prevailing  anarchy.  All  the  union  which  has  existed 
among  Seventh  Day  Adventists  is  due  to  her  timely  warnings 
and  instructions." — Publisher's  footnotes  in  Experiences  and 
Views,  published  1891. 

Mrs.  White  said  of  William  Miller,  as  found  in  same  book: 
"As  John  the  Baptist  heralded  the  first  advent  of  Jesus,  and 
prepared  the  way  for  his  coming,  so  William  Miller  and  those 
who  joined  with  him,  proclaimed  the  second  advent  of  the  Son 
of  God." 

Mrs.  White,  the  prophetess  of  Adventism,  relates:  "I  was 
struck  dumb,  and  for  a  few  moments  was  lost  to  everything 
around.  ...  A  card  was  held  up  before  me,  on  which  were 
written  in  gold  letters  the  chapter  and  verse  of  fifty  texts 
of  scripture.  After  I  came  out  of  (the)  vision,  ...  I  took 
the  Bible  and  readily  turned  to  all  the  texts  that  I  had  seen 
upon  the  card.  I  was  unable  to  speak  all  day." — Christian 
Experiences,  p.  18. 

In  answer  to  a  question  asked  by  Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt,  Mr.. 
J.  0.  Johnston,  president  of  North  and  South  Carolina  con- 
ference of  Seventh  Day  Adventists,  replied,  May  10,  1904, 
as  follows:  "Seventh  Day  Adventists  regard  Mrs.  White  as 
a  prophetess  or  'mouthpiece  for  God,'  just  as  truly  as  the 
church  in  the  wilderness  regarded  Moses,  but  she  is  not  in  any 
sense  .a  leader  of  the  church  as  was  Moses.  Her  work  corre- 
sponds more  to  the  work  of  John  the  Baptist  than  it  does  to 
Moses,  though  we  do  not  claim  that  she  is  that  'Elijah  that  was 
to  come'  or  anything  of  that  kind.  We  believe  that  God  has 
given  a  work  to  our  denomination  that  corresponds  exactly  to 
the  work  of  John  the  Baptist.  .  .  .  Mrs.  White  is  recognized 
among  us,  and  has  been  for  fifty  years,  as  one  to  whom  God 
has  given  divine  revelations  for  the  guidance  of  his  work  here 
upon  earth." 

Mrs.  E.  G.  White's  view  of  the  "gathering  time,"  as  found 
in  volume  1,  of  Experiences  and  Views,  and  Spiritual  Gifts 
(furnished  by  Elder  F.  G.  Pitt)  :  "September  23,  the  Lord 


156  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

showed  me  that  he  had  stretched  out  his  hand  the  second  time 
to  recover  the  remnant  of  his  people,  and  that  efforts  must  be 
redoubled  in  this  gathering.  .  .  .  Then  I  was  pointed  to  some 
who  are  in  the  great  error  of  believing  that  it  is  their  duty 
to  go  to  old  Jerusalem,  and  think  they  have  a  work  to  do 
there  before  the  Lord  comes.  Such  a  view  is  calculated  to 
take  the  mind  and  interest  from  the  present  work  of  the  Lord, 
under  the  message  of  the  Third  angel;  for  those  who  think 
they  are  yet  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  will  have  their  minds  there, 
and  their  means  will  "be  withheld  from  the  cause  of  present 
truth.  I  saw  that  such  a  mission  would  accomplish  no  real 
good,  and  it  would  take  a  long  time  to  make  a  very  few  Jews 
believe  even  in  the  first  advent  of  Christ,  much  more  to  believe 
in  his  second  advent.  I  saw  that  Satan  had  greatly  deceived 
some  in  this  thing,  and  that  souls  all  around  them  in  this 
land  could  be  helped  by  them,  and  led  to  keep  the  command- 
ments of  God,  but  they  were  leaving  them  to  perish.  ...  I  also 
saw  that  old  Jerusalem  never  would  be  built  up;  and  that 
Satan  was  doing  his  utmost  to  lead  the  minds  of  the  children 
of  the  Lord  into  these  things  now,  in  the  gathering  time,  to 
.keep  them  from  throwing  their  whole  interest  into  the  present 
work  of  the  Lord,  and  to  cause  them  to  neglect  the  necessary 
preparation  for  the  day  of  the  Lord." — Pages  63-65. 

GENERATION    DEFINED. 

"Question  corner"  of  a  leading  Adventist  paper,  Signs  of 
the  Times,  published  at  Oakland,  California,  issue  of  December 
22,  1898:  "Please  explain  Matthew  24:  34.  What  generation 
is  this?  How  long  is  this  generation?  When  does  it  be- 
gin? "A.  T." 

"It  means  the  generation  which  sees  the  fulfillment  of  the 
signs  mentioned  by  our  Lord.  It  began  between  the  falling 
of  the  stars  in  1833  and  1844,  when  the  last  part  of  the 
message  of  Revelation  14:6-14  began,  and  ends  when  the 
Lord  comes.  A  generation  is  not  a  definite  time.  It  means 
generally  the  people  living  upon  earth  at  the  time. 

"DELOIT,  IOWA.  "C.  J.  HUNT." 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  157 

SUCCESSION    CLAIMED. 

Editor  Prescott,  in  answering  Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt's  inquiry, 
said,  September  11,  1904:  "We  regard  the  Seventh  Day  Ad- 
ventist  Church  as  in  the  direct  line  of  apostolic  succession, 
inasmuch  as  they  teach  the  pure  gospel  as  taught  by  the 
apostles.  Further  than  this  we  have  not  been  accustomed 
to  make  comparisons  between  our  rights,  powers,  and  privi- 
leges, and  those  of  other  denominations."  (Mr.  W.  W.  Pres- 
cott is  editor  of  the  Advent  Review  and  Sabbath  Herald, 
published  at  Washington,  D.  C.) 

The  Advent  leader  put  himself  on  record  in  the  following 
statement:  "I  hereby  acknowledge  that  I  have  long  believed 
it  my  duty  ...  to  leave  for  the  instruction  of  my  brethren, 
friends  and  children  a  brief  statement  of  my  faith  (and  which 
ought  to  be  my  practice)  ;  and  I  pray  God  to  forgive  me  where 
I  go  astray.  I  made  it  a  subject  of  prayer  and  meditation, 
and  therefore  have  the  following  as  my  faith, — reserving  the 
privilege  of  correction." — William  Miller,  p.  77,  of  his  Mem- 
oirs. 

One  of  the  articles  adopted  by  Mr.  Miller,  article  15,  reads: 
"I  believe  that  the  second  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  is  near, 
even  at  the  door,  even  within  twenty-one  years, — on,  or 
before,  1843." 

DOCTRINAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  ADVENTISTS. 

Mr.  M.  C.  Wilcox,  editor  of  the  Signs  of  the  Times,  answered 
Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt,  from  Mountain  View,  California,  January 
29,  1905,  as  follows,  as  to  who  has  the  right  to  baptize:  "I 
would  say,  'Yes,'  only  those  ordained  according  to  the  gospel 
have  the  right  to  administer  baptism"  (Hebrews  5:4). 

BAPTISM  IN  WATER  IS  NOT  FOR  THE  REMISSION  OF  SINS;  ACCORD- 
ING TO  ADVENTIST  TEACHINGS. 

W.  J.  Stone,  president  of  the  Indiana  conference,  wrote 
January  23,  1905,  to  Bishop  Hunt,  as  follows:  "I  do  not  under- 
stand that  a  person's  sins  are  washed  away  by  baptism.  The 
sacrifice  of  Christ  atones  for  our  sins.  *If  we  confess  our 


158  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

sins,  he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to 
cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness.' — 1  John  1 :  9.  Then  we 
are  cleansed  before  we  ever  go  into  the  water.  And  unless 
one  has  been  baptized  into  Christ's  death,  and  cleansed  from 
sin,  he  is  not  a  fit  subject  for  water  baptism.  Water  bap- 
tism is  simply  following  the  command  of  Christ,  and  the 
answering  of  a  good  conscience." — 1  Peter  3:  21. 

Editor  W.  W.  Prescott  made  the  following  reply  to  Bishop 
Hunt,  January  30,  1905:  "Water  baptism  has  no  efficacy 
in  itself,  and  is  not,  as  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  teaches,  a 
sacrament  by  means  of  which  a  person  is  cleansed  from  sin. 
It  is,  however,  the  outward  profession  and  sign  of  an  inward 
work.  When,  therefore,  a  truly  repentant  sinner  is  baptized, 
it  ought  to  be  true  that  he  is  baptized  for  the  remission  of 
sins,  but  the  remission  comes  through  his  faith  and  not 
through  the  efficacy  of  the  rite  of  baptism.  Christ  is  the 
door  and  not  baptism.  And  yet  it  is  true  that  every  member 
of  the  church  ought  to  be  baptized.  You  will  see  that  the  out- 
ward form  and  the  inward  experience  ought  not  to  be  sepa- 
rated." 

Again  he  says,  September  11,  1904:  "1.  A  believer  who 
has  been  baptized  by  immersion,  by  any  evangelical  minister, 
is  usually  received  in  full  fellowship  into  the  Seventh  Day 
Adventist  Church  without  being  rebaptized,  unless  he,  himself, 
desires  rebaptism.  The  usual  method  would  be  to  receive  him 
on  profession  of  faith  and  previous  baptism." 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  ADVENT  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

"The  Advent  Christian  Association  was  organized  in  1857, 
and  during  all  those  years  its  annual  sessions  were  held  in 
connection  with  the  Wilbraham  meeting." — Prophetic  and 
Mission  Record,  Boston,  Massachusetts,  U.  S.  A.,  December, 
1905. 

"Have  we  a  creed?"  "However,  Second  Adventists,  in  gen- 
eral, and  we  suppose  without  exception  among  all  branches 
of  the  Adventist  family,  have  no  authoritative  creed  but  the 
Bible.  That  is,  every  statement  of  faith  or  belief  is  valueless 
as  authority  unless  in  Bible  terms.  The  Bible,  and  the  Bible 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  159 

alone   is   our   rule   of   faith." — Our  Hope,   Mendota,   Illinois', 
March  28,  1906. 

THE  FIRST  DAY  OF  THE  WEEK  THE  REST  DAY  FOR 
THE  DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST. 

THEIR  SABBATH. 

Encyclopedia  Britannica:  "The  first  day  of  the  week  was 
everywhere  set  apart  for  this  purpose.  Thus  Acts  20 :  7  shows 
that  the  disciples  in  Troas  met  weekly  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week  for  exhortation  and  the  breaking  of  bread ;  1  Corinthians 
16:  2  implies  at  least  some  observance  of  the  day;  and  the 
solemn  commemorative  character  it  had  very  early  acquired 
is  strikingly  indicated  by  an  incidental  expression  of  the  writer 
of  the  Apocalypse  (1:  10)  who  for  the  first  time  gives  it  that 
name  ('the  Lord's  day')  by  which  it  is  almost  invariably  re- 
ferred to  by  all  writers  of  the  century  immediately  succeeding 
apostolic  times.  Amon-g  the  indications  of  the  nature  and  uni- 
versality of  its  observance  during  this  period  may  be  men- 
tioned the  precept  in  the  (recently  discovered)  teaching  of 
the  apostles  (c.  14)  :  'And  on  the  Lord's  day  of  the  Lord 
.  .  .  come  together  and  break  bread  and  give  thanks  after 
confessing  your  transgressions,  that  your  sacrifice  may  be 
pure.'  Ignatius  (Ad.  Magn.,  c.  9)  speaks  of  those  whom  he 
addresses  as  'no  longer  Sabbatizing,  but  living  in  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Lord's  day  ...  on  which  also  our  life  sprang 
up  again.'  Eusebius  (H.  E.,  4.23)  has  preserved  a  letter  of 
Dionyius  of  Corinth  (175  A.  D.)  to  Soter,  bishop  of  Rome,  in 
which  he  says:  'To-day  we  have  passed  the  Lord's  holy  day, 
in  which  we  have  read  your  epistle';  and  the  same  historian 
(H.  E.,  4.26)  mentions  that  Melito  of  Sardis  (170  A.  D.)  had 
written  a  treatise  on  the  Lord's  day.  .  .  .  The  first  writer  who 
mentions  the  name  of  Sunday  as  applicable  to  the  Lord's 
day  is  Justin  Martyr;  this  designation  of  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  which  is  of  heathen  origin  (see  Sabbath,  vol.  21,  p. 
126),  had  come  into  general  use  in  the  Roman  world  shortly 
before  Justin  wrote.  The  passage  is  too  well  known  to  need 
quotation  (Apol.  1,  67)  in  which  he  describes  how  'on  the 


160  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

day  called  Sunday'  town  and  country  Christians  alike  gath- 
ered together  in  one  place  for  instruction  and  prayer  and 
charitable  offerings  and  the  distribution  of  bread  and  wine; 
they  thus  meet  together  on  that  day,  he  says.,  because  it  is 
the  first  day  in  which  God  made  the  world,  and  because  Jesus 
Christ  on  the  same  day  rose  from  the  dead.  As  long  as  the 
Jewish  Christian  element  continued  to  have  any  prominence 
or  influence  in  the  church,  a  tendency  more  or  less  strong 
to  observe  Sabbath  as  well  as  Sunday  would  of  course  per- 
sist."— Vol.  22,  pp.  653,  654. 

FIRST  ENACTMENT  OF  LAW  IN  REGARD  TO  SUNDAY. 

"The  earliest  recognition  of  the  observance  of  Sunday  as  a 
legal  duty  is  a  constitution  of  Constantine  in  321  A.  D."- 
Ibid.,  p.  654. 

"Sunday  was  emphatically  the  weekly  feast  of  the  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  as  the  Jewish  Sabbath  was  of  the  feast  of 
Creation.  It  was  called  the  Lord's  day,  and  upon  it  the  primi- 
tive church  assembled  to  break  bread." — Schaff-Herzog  En- 
cyclopedia, p.  2259. 

"The  Sabbath  was  now  reinstituted  with  peculiar  solemnity, 
and  its  observance  was  placed  in  the  moral  code,  among  the 
ten  commandments.  But  it  is  probable  that  the  day  of  its 
observance  was  changed.  For  the  day  first  marked  out  for  the 
Jewish  Sabbath  by  the  manna's  not  falling  upon  it,  was  the 
twenty-second  of  the  second  month,  and  counting  backward 
seven  days,  we  find  the  people  performing,  by  divine  direction, 
a  long  and  wearisome  march.  The  original  Sabbath,  conse- 
crated by  the  heathen  to  the  Sun,  may  have  been  set  aside, 
and  that  day  made  holy  on  which  the  Jews  came  out  of 
Egypt.  Of  that  event,  the  Sabbath  now  became  a  special 
memorial.  He  who  is  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  has  a  right  to 
alter  the  day  of  its  observance.  He  did  alter  it  at  a  subse- 
quent period,  to  commemorate  his  own  resurrection.  And 
if  the  Sabbath  was  then  put  back  one  day,  as  has  been  com- 
puted by  some  learned  men,  we  have  now  the  original  Sab- 
bath, and  do  commemorate  both  the  creation  and  redemption 
of  man." — Rev.  John  Marsh,  Ecclesiastical  History,  p.  59. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  161 

"The  Christians  of  this  century,  assembled  for  the  worship 
of  God  and  for  their  advancement  in  piety,  on  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  the  day  on  which  Christ  reassumed  his  life;  for  that 
this  day  was  set  apart  for  religious  worship  by  the  apostles 
themselves,  and  that,  after  the  example  of  the  Church  of 
Jerusalem,  it  was  generally  observed,  we  have  unexceptionable 
testimony." — Mosheim,  Ecclesiastical  History,  vol.  1.  chap. 
4:4,  p.  85. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  MOURNERS'  BENCH. 

"The  Six  Months'  Probation,  and  Mourners'  Bench  Theories 
of  Methodism. 

"Rev.  James  M.  Buckley,  LL.  D.,  editor  of  the  Christian 
Advocate,  New  York  City,  wrote  November  2,  1905:  'In  the 
early  days  of  Methodism  in  this  country  the  probation  was 
three  months.  It  was  afterwards  made  six  months.  It  was 
adopted  by  the  conferences. 

"The  mourners'  bench  was  first  introduced  by  Aaron  Hunt, 
in  the  year  1809,  though  a  brother  by  the  name  of  Valentine 
Cook  introduced  it  elsewhere  about  the  same  time.' 

"The  above  item  of  history  can,  I  believe,  be  relied  upon, 
as  Doctor  Buckley  is  a  prominent  educator  in  the  Methodist 
Ji-piscopal  Church." — C.  J.  Hunt,  in  Zion's  Ensign,  November 
23,  1905. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  DUNKARD  CHURCH. 

A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  BRETHREN  OR  DUNKARDS. 

Ever  since  the  decline  of  primitive  Christianity  in  the 
early  age  of  the  church,  God  has  had  a  people  who  protested 
against  the  departures  from  the  usages  of  the  apostolic 
church.  The  Brethren  come  in  this  line  of  succession,  and 
the  movement  which  resulted  in  their  closer  organization 
grew  out  of  the  great  religious  awakening  which  occurred 
in  Germany  during  the  closing  years  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, when  large  numbers,  becoming  dissatisfied  with  the  lack 
of  spirituality  in  the  state  church,  withdrew  from  its  com- 
munion and  met  together  for  the  worship  of  God.  They  were 


162  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

called  Separatists,  or  Pietists,  and  among  them  were  to  be 
found  such  men  as  Jacob  Philip  Spenner,  Herman  Franke, 
the  founder  of  the  Orphans'  Home  and  School  at  Halle, 
Ernest  Christian  Hochman,  Alexander  Mack,  and  many  other 
earnest,  pious  men  whose  names  have  become  historical.  The 
Pietists  were  bitterly  persecuted  by  the  Reformed  and  Catho- 
lic churches,  and  were  driven  from  place  to  place  until  finally 
Count  Cassimir,  of  Witgenstein,  opened  a  place  of  refuge  for 
the  persecuted  brethren  in  his  province.  Here,  in  the  village 
of  Schwartzenau,  Alexander  Mack,  and  others,  similarly 
minded,  met  together  to  read  and  study  God's  word.  They 
mutually  agreed  to  lay  aside  all  existing  creeds,  confessions 
of  faith,  and  catechisms,  and  search  for  the  truth  of  God's 
Book,  and,  having  found  it,  to  follow  it  wherever  it  might 
lead  them.  They  were  led  to  adopt  the  New  Testament  as 
their  creed  and  to  declare  in  favor  of  a  literal  observance  of 
all  the  commandments  of  the  Son  of  God. 

In  1708,  a  small  company,  that  is  to  say  eight  souls,  repaired 
to  the  river  Eder  and  were  buried  with  Christ  in  baptism, 
triune  immersion  being  the  mode  used.  The  church  was  organ- 
ized, and  Alexander  Mack  was  chosen  as  its  first  minister, 
but  he  has  never  been  regarded  as  the  founder  of  the  church. 
The  Brethren  claim  to  follow  only  Christ,  and,  as  they  accept 
his  word  as  their  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  the  claim  is  well 
founded.  The  infant  church  increased  in  numbers  rapidly, 
but  even  in  Witgenstein  their  peace  was  soon  disturbed,  and, 
although  they  lived  peaceful  and  harmless  lives,  the  hand  of 
persecution  was  laid  heavily  upon  them.  Mack,  in  company 
with  Hochman,  preached -the  word  of  truth  in  many  parts  of 
Germany,  visiting  Holland  also.  Here  they  met  and  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  William  Penn,  who  was  at  that  time  much 
interested  in  his  colony  in  the  New  World.  The  Brethren  were 
invited  to  settle  in  Pennsylvania,  and,  as  they  were  sorely  per- 
secuted, the  invitation  was  accepted. 

In  1719  they  commenced  emigrating  to  America,  and  in  less 
than  ten  years  the  entire  church  found  itself  quietly  settled 
down  in  the  vicinity  of  Germantown  and  Philadelphia.  From 
this  nucleus,  formed  in  the  New  World,  the  church  spread 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  163 

southward  and  westward,  and  flourishing  congregations  are 
now  to  be  found  in  many  of  the  States.  They  are,  however, 
most  numerous  in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Virginia,  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri,  Nebraska,  and  Kansas.  At 
the  annual  conference,  held  at  Warrensburg,  Missouri,  1890, 
twenty-two  States  and  two  foreign  countries,  Sweden  and 
Denmark,  were  represented  by  delegates  on  the  standing  com- 
mittee. 

DOCTRINE  OF  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH,  FROM  THEIR 
OWN  BOOKS. 

SOME    INTERESTING    ROMAN    CATHOLIC    DOCTRINE    AND    HISTORY 
FOUND   IN    THEIR    NEW   BOOK,    THE   QUESTION    BOX. 

"It  is  ever  a  law  of  scripture  interpretation  that  an  obscure 
text  should  always  be  explained  in  the  light  of  clear  and 
explicit  passages." 

Catholics  claim  succession : 

"Christ  was  the  answer  of  the  world's  longing  for  a  divine, 
infallible  teacher  of  God's  truth.  His  church  is  the  con- 
tinuation of  that  divine,  infallible  teaching  until  the  second 
coming  of  the  Christ." — Page  17. 

"A  Catholic  knows  there  is  no  danger  of  deception,  be- 
cause he  believes  in  the  authority  of  God,  voiced  to  him  by 
the  living,  infallible  witness  of  Christ's  mouthpiece,  the  Church 
of  God."— Page  19. 

"You  can  not  do  away  with  Christ's  divinity  and  pretend  to 
follow  out  his  teaching.  If  he  be  only  man,  his  power  to  com- 
mand is  subject  to  the  caprice  of  every  individual.  If  he  is 
God,  then  it  follows  naturally  that  his  doctrines  must  be 
believed  under  penalty  of  damnation  (Mark  16:  16),  and  his 
commandments  obeyed  under  penalty  of  hell.  Logically,  also, 
there  must  be  in  the  world  to-day  a  teacher  of  his  gospel, 
divine  as  he  was  divine,  infallible  as  he  was  infallible,  voic- 
ing his  gospel  to  all  men  unto  the  end  (Matthew  28:  20;  Acts 
1:8);  an  authority  of  which  he  said :  'He  that  heareth  you 
heareth  me'"  (Luke  10:  16).— Page  58. 

"The  church  teaches  by  divine  authority;  in  submitting  to 


164  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

her  we  submit  to  God,  and  are  freed  from  all  human  au- 
thority."—Page  119. 

"Christ  was  not  merely  a  teacher  of  doctrine,  but  an  organ- 
izer of  a  society.  He  chooses  twelve  men  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Simon  Peter."— Page  104. 

"The  true  apostolic  succession  demands  more  than  mere 
natural  love  of  the  brethren.  An  apostolic  church  must  have 
apostolic  doctrine,  orders,  and  authority.  The  Bible  gives  us 
unmistakable  evidence  of  a  church  built  on  the  apostles,  and 
continuing  one  and  the  same  for  ever  without  even  the  pos- 
sibility of  failure."— Page  188. 

"All  the  apostles  were  commissioned  in  common  to  establish 
the  church,  to  preach  the  gospel,  .  .  .  but  Peter  alone  was 
made  the  rock,  the  key-bearer,  the  confirmer  of  the  brethren, 
and  the  shepherd  of  the  flock.  This  has  ever  been  the  witness 
of  Catholic  tradition."— Page  280. 

"The  church  is  indeed  built  upon  all  the  apostles  and  proph- 
ets, but  not  in  the  same  manner,  for  surely  the  prophets  were 
not  teachers  of  Christ  in  the  same  sense  as  the  apostles." — 
Page  286. 

"Conditions  were  vastly  different  in  apostolic  times,  for  the 
Catholic  Church  teaches  that  each  apostle  was  infallible  with 
and  under  the  pope,  while  to-day  the  plenitude  of  apostolic 
power  of  teaching  and  ruling  resides  only  in  the  bishop  of 
Rome."— Page  289. 

"A  visible  church  needs  a  local  government  upon  earth 
according  to  the  divine  plan." — Page  284. 

"If  Saint  Peter  or  his  successor,  speaking  authoritatively  to 
the  church,  could  teach  false  doctrine,  then  he  would  instantly 
cease  to  be  the  firm  rock  foundation  on  which  Christ  built  his 
church,  the  gates  of  hell  would  prevail,  .  .  .  and  the  whole 
flock  of  Christ  would  be  deprived  of  the  true  food  of  divine 
faith  (John  21:  15-17)."— Page  303. 

A  challenge: 

"Catholics  are  glad  to  challenge  any  comparison  when  it 
comes  to  morality  and  religion." — Page  158. 

The  trinity: 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  165 

"There  is  one  divine  nature,  and  in  that  divine  nature  there 
are  three  persons." — Page  37. 

The  Bible: 

"The  real  question  is:  Is  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone  the 
way  to  find  out  the  gospel  of  Christ?  The  Catholics  answer 
this  question  in  a  decided  negative." — Page  64. 

"Deny  the  church's  infallible  witness,  and  lo!  the  Bible  is 
reduced  to  the  level  of  mere  oriental  literature,  full  of  errors 
and  utterly  devoid  of  divine  inspiration.  .  .  .  The  Bible  does 
not  pretend  to  be  a  formulary  of  belief,  as  is  a  creed  or 
catechism.  There  is  nowhere  in  the  New  Testament  a  clear, 
methodical  statement  of  the  teachings  of  Christ." — Page  66. 

"The  Bible  was  never  intended  to  take  the  place  of  the 
living,  infallible  teacher,  the  [Catholic]  church,  but  was  writ- 
ten to  explain  or  to  insist  upon  a  doctrine  already  preached. 

"How  indeed  could  a  dead  and  speechless  book,  that  can  not 
be  cross-questioned  to  settle  doubts  or  decide  controversies,  be 
the  exclusive  and  all-sufficient  teacher  of  God's  revelation?" 
—Page  67. 

"The  Apocalypse  [the  revelation  of  Saint  John]  is  '„  re  of 
the  most  obscure  portions  of  Holy  Writ,  and  no  one  pretends 
to  be  able  to  interpret  it  with  any  certainty." — Page  562. 

"Catholics  are  infallibly  certain  that  all  the  books  of  their 
Bible  are  inspired,  because  of  the  divine,  infallible  witness  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  voiced  by  the  Councils  of  Trent 
(1545-1565)  and  the  Vatican  (1869-1870).  Protestants,  lack- 
ing this  divine,  infallible  teacher,  can  never  be  certain  what 
books  form  the  canon  of  Holy  Scripture." — Page  76. 

"Christ,  therefore,  either  established  a  church  that  could  not 
err,  or  he  never  established  any  teaching  authority  at  all." 
—Page  132. 

"The  Catholic's  loss  of  faith  is  ever  traceable  to  the  break- 
ing of  the  ten  commandments.  The  church  felt  this  keenly 
herself,  and  reformed  many  abuses  at  the  Council  of  Trent, 
1545-1563."— Page  IBo. 

"The  ceremony  performed  by  John  was  not  a  sacrament  at 
all,  but  aroused  feelings  of  sorrow,  which  prepared  the  hearts 


166  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

of  his  hearers  for  the  true  sacrament  of  Christ,  as  we  learn 
from  Acts  19:  3-5."— Page  353. 

Infant  baptism.  Here  is  something  well  worth  preserving 
on  that  question: 

"It  is  probable  that  there  were  children  in  the  households 
baptized  by  Saint  Paul  (1  Corinthians  1:  16;  Acts  16:  15,  33), 
although  there  is  no  conclusive  proof  in  the  New  Testament 
of  the  practice  of  infant  baptism.  In  this  matter  many  Protes- 
tants inconsistently  violate  their  principle  of  the  Bible  only 
as  a  rule  of  faith,  and  follow  the  divine  tradition  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church."— Page  368. 

Baptizing  church  bells. 

"Bells  are  not  baptized,  for  only  rational  creatures  are  fit 
subjects  for  Christ's  baptism.  They  are  merely  blessed,  as 
are  many  other  inanimate  objects,  with  a  special  prayer  pre- 
scribed by  the  liturgy."— Pages  272,  273. 

Water  baptism: 

"Catholics  are  fully  aware  that  the  early  practice  of  the 
church  .  .  .  was  to  immerse,  and  that  this  custom  prevailed  in 
both  the  East  and  West  in  the  solemn  administration  of  the 
sacrament  till  the  end  of  the  thirteenth  century.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  there  is  abundant  evidence  to  prove  that  immersion 
was  not  the  only  mode,  and  that  pouring  on  of  water  was  con- 
sidered equally  valid.  It  is  doubtful,  to  say  the  very  least, 
whether  the  three  thousand  converts  of  Saint  Peter  on  Pente- 
cost day  (Acts  2:  41)  were  immersed,  because  of  the  scarcity 
of  water  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem  .  .  . 

"If,  again,  immersion  be  the  only  valid  mode,  none  are 
really  baptized  save  those  who  have  been  immersed.  It  would 
follow  then  that  over  a  hundred  years  after  the  Reformation 
unbaptized  men  (A.  D.  1638)  restored  th.  church,  which  had 
been  entirely  lost  in  the  world,  by  giving  to  one  another  that 
which  they  did  not  possess  themselves.  If  baptism  had  entirely 
perished,  whence  the  right  of  any  man  to  restore  it  on  his  own 
authority? 

"The  Catholic  Church,  therefore,  as  the  infallible  interpreter 
of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  declares  that  all  three  ways  of 
baptizing  are  equally  valid,  by  immersion,  by  pouring,  or  by 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  167 

sprinkling.  The  present  mode  of  pouring  arose  from  the  many 
inconveniences  connected  with  immersion,  frequent  mention  of 
which  is  made  in  the  writings  of  the  early  Christian  Fathers. 
But,  as  a  necessary  safeguard,  Catholics  are  not  permitted  to 
use  the  form  of  sprinkling." — Pages  364-366. 

"Three  things  are  necessary  for  a  sacrament:  First,  the 
sensible  sign,  as  in  Baptism  the  outward  washing  of  the  body 
with  the  invocation  of  the  Blessed  Trinity." — Page  345. 

"We  do  not  believe  that  sacraments  act  like  magic  to  cleanse 
a  soul  from  sin  independently  of  the  interior  disposition  of  the 
one  receiving  them.  The  Catholic  Church  demands:  First. 
That  a  person  be  qualified  to  receive  them." — Page  348. 

"Pope  Saint  Stephen  (A.  D.  255-257)  decided  against  Saint 
Cyprian  that  the  baptism  conferred  by  heretics  was  valid,  and 
that  rebaptism  was  unlawful.  .  .  .  Thus,  infidel  and  Jewish 
physicians  in  the  hospitals  of  New  York,  who  do  not  believe  in 
the  Catholic  Church,  know  what  a  sacrament  is,  and  believe 
that  it  is  something  sacred,  have  in  cases  of  necessity  validly 
baptized  dying  children,  because  they  out  of  courtesy  and  re- 
spect to  the  wishes  of  Catholic  priests  have  had  the  intention  of 
performing  an  act  held  sacred  by  the  Catholic  Church." 
—Pages  350,  351. 

"If  a  Protestant  is  uncertain  about  his  former  baptism — a 
frequent  case  in  our  day  of  lax  Christian  views  and  practice 
— he  is  baptized  conditionally,  with  the  form:  7/  thou  art 
not  baptized,  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'  "—Page  98. 

Baptism  for  the  dead  (1  Corinthians  15:  29)  : 

"No  one  knows  with  certainty  what  is  meant  by  this  obscure 
text  of  Saint  Paul.  Many  interpretations  have  been  suggested, 
viz,  that  it  refers  to  baptism  administered  over  the  tombs  of 
the  martyrs,  or  at  the  point  of  death,  or  some  symbolic  cere- 
mony performed  by  the  relations  of  a  deceased  catechumen." 
—Page  369. 

Who  are  Catholic? 

"No  one  is  a  Catholic  who  is  not  a  Roman  Catholic." — Page 
183. 

"The  Church  of  Christ  has  been  called  Catholic  as  early  as 


168  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

the  beginning  of  the  second  century  or  the  end  of  the  first." 
—Page  181. 

The  Great  Catholic  Church: 

"In  points  of  doctrine  the  Greek  Church  denies  the  primacy 
and  infallibility  of  the  Pope,  .  .  .  Until  the  middle  of  the  ninth 
century  the  Greek  Church  was  in  communion  with  the  Roman 
Pontiff."— Page  184. 

The  thief  on  the  cross: 

"As  for  the  thief  on  the  cross,  it  is  not  evident  that  he  went 
instantly  to  heaven;  for  Catholics,  believing  that  Christ's  soul 
immediately  after  his  death  went  down  to  Limbo,  to  announce 
to  the  souls  there  detained  the  glad  tidings  of  the  redemption 
(1  Peter  3:  19),  declare  that  paradise  in  this  passage  does  not 
mean  heaven  at  all." — Page  402. 

"Limbo  is  the  place  where  the  souls  of  the  just,  who  died 
before  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ,  were  detained." — Page  560. 

Resurrection  of  the  body: 

"The  Catholic  Church  teaches  .  .  .  that  all  men  'will  rise 
again  with  their  own  bodies  which  they  now  bear  about  with 
them.'"— Page  560. 

The  Millennium: 

"The  church  has  defined  nothing  whatsoever  on  this  subject. 
The  reign  of  Christ  for  one  thousand  years  (Apocrapha  20: 
1-10),  with  the  two  resurrections  of  the  just  and  the  wicked, 
held  in  the  early  church  by  some  few  writers,  is  contrary  to 
the  Scriptures." — Pages  561,  562. 

Purgatory : 

"The  word  purgatory  is  not  found  in  the  Bible;  .  .  .  The 
strongest  argument  for  the  existence  of  purgatory  and  the 
practice  of  praying  for  the  dead  is  the  universal  and  constant 
witness  of  divine  tradition  as  voiced  in  the  writings  of  the 
fathers."— Pages  562,  563. 

The  mass: 

"We  do  not  pretend  to  know  how  far  God  applies  the  infinite 
merits  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass  to  either  the  living  or  the 
dead."— Page  454. 

The  sacrament — bread  and  wine: 

"The  Council  of  Trent  says  .  .  .  'that  by  the  consecration  of 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  169 

the  bread  and  wine  a  change  is  wrought  of  the  bread's  whole 
substance  into  the  substance  of  Christ  our  Lord's  body,  and  of 
the  wine's  whole  substance  into  the  substance  of  his  blood.'  " 
—Pages  416,  417. 

"The  Catholic  Church  teaches  that  the  reception  of  commun- 
ion under  the  form  of  wine  is  not  absolutely  necessary,  for  she 
has  ever  believed  that  as  much  is  contained  under  either  spe- 
cies [bread  or  wine]  as  under  both." — Page  443. 

"The  words  drink  ye  all  of  it  (Matthew  26:27)  were 
addressed,  not  to  the  faithful  in  general  but  to  the  Apostles 
who  alone  were  present." — Page  445. 

Men  holding  priesthood  not  to  marry: 

"Celibacy  originated  by  Christ's  appointment,  and  flows 
naturally  out  of  the  Christian  sense  of  the  dignity  of  the 
priesthood;  and  voluntarily  entered  upon  in  apostolic  times, 
it  became  the  law  for  the  Western  Church  [Roman  Catholic] 
in  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century." — Page  491. 

"Until  the  fourth  century  .  .  .  there  was  no  strict  law 
enforcing  celibacy,  and  therefore  many  married  men  received 
orders." — Page  494. 

"Celibacy  is  a  question  of  discipline,  not  of  dogma,  so  that 
the  Eastern  churches  that  are  united  to  Rome — for  instance, 
the  Maronites — are  still  permitted  a  married  clergy." — Page 
497. 

Was  the  Apostle  Peter  married? 

"He  undoubtedly  was,  yet  tradition  declares  that  he  did 
not  live  with  his  wife  after  the  divine  call  .  .  .  ;  the  words 
of  Saint  Peter  to  Christ  are  plain:  'Behold  we  have  left  all 
things  and  have  followed  thee.' "  [Douay  Bible.]— Pages 
492,  493. 

Miracles— Mark  16 :  17,  18 : 

"The  age  of  miracles  will  last  until  the  end  of  time."— 
Page  545. 

"We  grant  that  they  are  not  so  numerous  to-day  as  in  the 
first  days  of  the  church,  when  they  were  specially  meant  to 
aid  the  spread  of  Christianity." — Page  546. 

This  work  was  done  for  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  by 
Reverend  B.  L.  Conway  of  the  Paulist  Fathers,  in  a  book 


170  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

called  The  Question  Box,  of  six  hundred  pages,  containing 
"answers  to  over  one  thousand  questions"  received  from  non- 
Catholics.  The  preface  to  the  book  is  by  Reverend  James 
Cardinal  Gibbons,  archbishop  of  Baltimore,  America. 

We  quote  from  the  one  hundred  and  eighty-fifth  thou- 
sandth edition  of  1904. 

THE  PAPACY. 

"Bro.  E.  J.  Haworth,  of  Wallsend,  hands  us  a  copy  of  the 
celebrated  speech  delivered  by  Bishop  Strossmayer  before  the 
Vatican  Council  of  1870,  when  the  dogma  of  papal  infallibil- 
ity was  being  discussed.  We  would  like  to  reproduce  the 
whole  of  it,  but  space  forbids.  Among  other  things  he  said: 
'But,  my  venerable  friends,  we  have  a  dictator,  before  whom 
we  must  prostrate  ourselves  and  be  silent,  even  as  his  Holi- 
ness Pius  IX,  and  bow  our  heads.  The  dictator  is  history. 
This  is  not  like  a  legend,  which  can  be  made  as  the  potter 
makes  his  clay;  but  is  like  a  diamond,  which  cuts  on  the 
glass  what  can  not  be  canceled.  Till  now  I  have  only  leant 
on  her,  and  if  I  have  found  no  trace  of  the  papacy  in  the 
apostolic  days,  the  fault  is  hers,  not  mine.  ...  I  have  sought 
for  a  pope  in  the  first  four  centuries,  and  I  have  not  found 
him.'  " — C.  J.  Hunt,  in  Gospel  Standard,  Australia,  August 
15,  1904,  and  in  Saints'  Herald,  February  14,  1906. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE   CHRISTIAN,  OR  CAMPBELLITE 
CHURCH. 

"This  modern  sect  was  originated  by  Alexander  Campbell, 
in  Bethany,  Virginia,  in  1827."— Tri-Lemma,  p.  190. 

"After  his  failure  in  this  [to  reform  the  Presbyterian 
church]  attempt  at  reformation,  he  [Campbell]  decided  to 
unite  with  the  Baptists.  .  .  .  Accordingly  in  1812  he  was  im- 
mersed by  Elder  Luce,  a  Baptist  minister." — Ibid.,  p.  191. 

"1827  the  Baptists  expelled  him  and  all  who  embraced  his 
unscriptural  views." — Ibid.,  p.  193. 

"Mr.  Campbell's  baptism,  then,  according  to  his  own  theory, 
was  a  blasted  nut,  for — first,  Mr.  Luce  never  immersed  him 
for  any  such  purpose.  No  Baptist  church  or  Baptist  minister 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  171 

ever  baptized  to  bring  the  blood  of  Christ  in  contact  with 
conscience  of  his  subject  or  to  produce  for  him  the  remission 
of  sins  or  regeneration  of  his  heart.  Mr.  Campbell  himself 
at  this  time,  1812,  did  not  know  or  believe  any  such  doctrine. 
He  had  never  thought  of  it  in  his  wildest  imaginations.  It 
was  years  after  his  baptism  before  his  preaching  or  writings 
were  tainted  by  these  heretical  conceptions." — Ibid.,  pp.  195, 
196. 

"If  Baptist  churches  are  false,  as  Mr.  Campbell  declares, 
...  a  false  church  can  not  administer  valid  baptisms  or  or- 
dinations, and  Mr.  Campbell  and  his  ministers  received  theirs 
from  the  Baptist,  whose  churches  and  baptisms  they  deny 
to  be  scriptural!  Will  not  Campbellites  ask  themselves  this 
question,  when  they  re-immerse  our  excluded  members,  Who 
baptized  Mr.  Campbell?"— Ibid.,  pp.  196,  197. 

Editorial  answer:  "It  is  understood  by  those  familiar  with 
our  history  that  Mr.  Campbell  was  baptized  by  Elder  Luce, 
a  minister  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  that  Disciples  are 
therefore  in  the  true  line  of  Baptist  succession,  but  as  to 
the  ecclesiastical  ancestry  of  Mr.  Luce  we  know  nothing  and 
care  as  much.  He  was  a  Baptist  in  good  standing  and  in 
full  fellowship  and  that  suffices." — Christian  Evangelist,  May 
16,  1895,  p.  308. 

"It  is  a  child  [the  Campbellite  sect]  of  the  present  cen- 
tury."—Dr.  M.  Burnham,  Nineteenth  Century,  p.  5. 

"Campbell,  Alexander,  founder  of  the  religious  sect  calling 
themselves  Disciples  of  Christ,  but  commonly  known  as  Camp- 
bellites. Born  in  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  in  June,  1786,  died 
in  Bethany,  West  Virginia,  March  4,  1866."— American  Cyclo- 
pedia, vol.  3,  p.  662. 

Rev.  Campbell  says:  "He  tried  the  Pharisaic  plan,  and  the 
monastic,  I  was  once  so  straight,  that  like  the  Indian's  tree, 
I  leaned  a  little  the  other  way.  ...  I  was  once  so  strict  a 
separatist  that  I  would  neither  pray,  nor  sing  praises  with 
anyone  who  was  not  as  perfect  as  I  supposed  myself." — 
Christian  Baptist,  p.  238. 

"It  was  the  first  ecclesiastical  body  in. modern  times,  which 
transcending  the  limits  of  its  own  constitutional  prerogatives, 


172  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

initiated  a  movement  exactly  conformed  to  the  word  of  God, 
and    utterly    disentangled    from    all    sectarian    restraints. "- 
Hayden  History,  p.  59. 

"Assumed  the  position  of  a  gospel  church."— Ibid.,  p.  113. 

"These  people  were  themselves  reformers,  seeking  in  the 
measure  of  their  light  to  return  to  New  Testament  usages, 
but  like  most  of  the  efforts  to  return  from  spiritual  Babylon 
to  Jerusalem,  they  crystallized  around  a  few  items  which 
they  capitalized  into  undue  prominence.  The  ancient  gospel 
and  ancient  order  of  the  church  were  veiled  in  obscurity.  .  .  . 
But  who  would  have  thought  it  remained  for  any  so  late  as 
1827  to  restore  to  the  world  the  manner — primitive  manner 
of  administering  to  mankind  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  .  .  .  The  ancient  gospel  and  ancient  order  of  the 
church  must  prevail  to  the  certain  abolishing  of  all  those 
contumacious  sects  which  now  so  woefully  afflict  mankind." — 
Ibid.,  pp.  112,  173. 

"Persons  of  good  standing  in  other  evangelical  denomina- 
tions, who  desire  to  unite  with  us,  on  presenting  satisfactory 
letters,  we  receive,  not  as  disciples  of  Christ  (that  would  be 
impossible  without  immersion)   but  simply  as  Christians. "- 
The  Christian  Evangelist,  February  17,  1898,  p.  103. 

"The  Roman  Catholic  Church  was  born  about  1054;  Epis- 
copalian Church  was  born  about  1521;  Presbyterian,  about 
1537;  Scotch  Presbyterian,  about  1538;  English  Presbyterian, 
about  1572;  Baptist  Church  was  born  about  1611;  Quaker 
Church,  about  1655;  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  hatched 
out  about  1729,  in  England,  by  John  and  Charles  Wesley; 
but  the  foul  bird  grew  up  mainly  in  this  country." — Primitive 
Christian,  April  20,  1897,  p.  6. 

"I  have  obeyed  the  gospel  after  having  been  misled  for  over 
thirty  years  and  if  possible  the  church  was  dead  during  the 
dark  ages,  God  has  brought  it  to  life  again." — Ibid.,  p.  16. 

W.  B.  Halliday,  a  Campbellite  of  Cumberland  City,  Tennes- 
see, says :  "The  attendance  would  doubtless  have  been  larger, 
only  for  the  sectarian  prejudice  of  the  people  of  the  town, 
who  are  nearly  all  Methodists  and  who  are  as  completely 
under  the  control  of  their  preachers  as  a  loyal  Catholic  is 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  '   173 

under  the  control  of  the  Pope  of  Rome.  There  is  no  one  who 
knows  better  than  the  Methodist  preacher  that  they  have 
a  ghostly  skeleton  in  their  closet;  that  they  do  not  want  their 
lay  members  to  know  anything  about.  He  knows  that  the 
door  would  be  thrown  open  and  his  'Sheep'  would  see  the 
unscriptural  things  that  he  teaches.  May  God  help  the 
poor,  deluded  preacher,  and  the  priestridden  people  who  obey 
the  commands  of  men,  rather  than  the  commandments  of 
the  Lord." — Gospel  Advocate,  June  18,  1903,  p.  396. 

Frank  Ansley  says:  "I  renounced  the  traditions  of  the 
fathers  (Methodist)  and  united  with  the  restored  primitive 
church"  (Campbellite). — Reasons  for  Leaving  the  Methodist 
Church,  p.  5. 

"I  will  build  my  church,  .  .  .  not  the  Catholic,  or  the 
Episcopal,  or  the  Presbyterian,  or  the  Baptist,  or  the  Metho- 
dist."—Ibid.,  pp.  13,  14. 

Hayden  says:  "This  association  assumed  a  new  power 
and  with  this  high  prerogative  entered  upon  the  discharge 
of  far  higher  and  wider  responsibilities." — Page  60. 

A.  Campbell  says:  "If  Christians  were  and  may  be  the 
happiest  people  that  ever  lived,  it  is  because  they  live  under 
the  most  gracious  institution  ever  bestowed  on  men.  The 
meaning  of  this  institution  has  been  buried  under  the  rubbish 
of  human  traditions  for  hundreds  of  years.  It  was  lost  in 
the  dark  ages  and  has  never  been,  till  recently,  disinterred. 
Various  efforts  have  been  made,  and  considerable  progress 
attended  them;  but  since  the  grand  apostasy  was  completed, 
till  the  present  generation,  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  has  not 
been  laid  open  to  mankind  in  its  original  plainness,  simplicity 
and  majesty.  A  veil  in  reading  the  New  Institution  has 
been  on  the  hearts  of  Christians  as  Paul  declares  it  was 
upon  the  hearts  of  the  Jews  in  reading  the  Old  Institution 
toward  the  close  of  that  century." — Christian  System,  pp. 
192,  193. 

Mr.  Campbell  says:  "From  these  intimations  we  learn 
the  Apostles  Paul  and  Peter  foresaw  the  rise  of  sectaries 
and  sects;  and  both  of  them,  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  dis- 
tinctly connected  the  sects  with  sectarian  teachers;  for  all 


174  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

sects  have  been  originated  by  false  teachers  or  by  corrupt 
men."— Ibid.,  p.  109. 

Elder  W.  T.  Moore,  a  Campbellite,  says:  "It  can  not  be 
denied  that  Campbell  was  the  man  who  conceived,  organized 
and  made  successful  the  present  reformation." — Discipleism, 
p.  10. 

Elder  Dungan,  a  Campbellite,  says:  "The  word  reforma- 
tion means  "restoration."— Ibid. 

Elder  B.  B.  Tyler,  a  Campbellite,  says:  "I  am  compelled 
to  say  that  I  do  not  know  whether  the  Christian  Church,  as 
a  church,  claims  to  be  successors,  reformers,  or  restorers." 
—Ibid.,  p.  8. 

"This  plea  of  reformation  did  not  begin  nor  end  in  bap- 
tism. It  saw  as  its  end,  and  sought  nothing  less,  than  the 
de-organization  of  sect,  and  the  reorganization  of  the  saints 
on  the  new  covenant,  in  the  express  terms  and  conditions 
divinely  set  forth  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  This  was  clear 
as  a  sunbeam  in  the  preaching  and  writings  of  Scott  and  the 
Campbells,  and  all  who  were  enlisted  in  the  defense."- 
Hayden  History,  p.  158. 

"It  was  this  profound  conviction  that  caused  the  pioneers 
in  this  movement  to  go  back  beyond  the  Lutheran  reforma- 
tion, and  beyond  the  shadow  of  the  great  apostasy  to  the  New 
Testament  times." — Our  Movement,  p.  21. 

"Alexander  Campbell,  soon  became  chiefly  and  prominently 
known  as  the  reorganized  head  of  a  new  religious  movement, 
the  purpose  of  which  was  to  restore  Primitive  Christianity 
in  all  its  simplicity  and  beauty." — Life  of  A.  Campbell,  p.  25. 

"Doctor  Campbell  is  among  the  eminent  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  .  .  .  the  head  and  founder  of  one  of  the  most 
important  and  respectable  religious  communities." — Professor 
Richardson,  vol.  2,  p.  548. 

"OUR    RELATION    TO    OTHER    RELIGIOUS    BODIES." 

"That  the  religious  world  had  so  far  apostatized  from  the 
New  Testament  idea  of  the  church  as  to  have  been  utterly 
rejected  and  disowned  by  Christ,  so  that  he  had  no  church 
in  the  world  at  the  time  the  current  reformation  was  inau- 
gurated, and  that  with  the  organization  of  congregations 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  175 

under  the  teachings  of  the  leaders  of  this  movement,  he  made 
a  new  beginning  in  church  building." — The  Christian  Evan- 
gelist, March  21,  1895,  p.  178. 

"The  chain  is  now  complete.  Not  another  name  will  be 
added,  for  the  reason  that  the  work  has  been  accomplished. 
The  church  of  the  apostles  has  been  restored.  ...  If  Wycliff 
was  the  'morning  star  of  the  Reformation'  (restoration) 
Campbell  was  the  morning  sun  of  it." — The  Christian  Evan- 
gelist, May  6,  1897,  p.  279. 

"Do  the  Baptists  have  a  perfect  organization?  They  have 
no  elders.  They  say  they  are  not  needed;  that  the  deacons 
can  do  the  work  the  elders  were  to  do.  If  that  be  true,  then 
Christ's  church  was  not  a  perfect  organization.  Would  a 
Baptist  brother  admit  that  Christ's  church  was  not  perfect 
in  organization?  Of  course  he  would  not.  Then  the  Bap- 
tist church  is  not  a  perfect  organization,  for  it  is  not  on  the 
apostolic  plan." — Primitive  Christian,  October  19,  1897. 

"We  choose  to  speak  of  Bible  things  by  Bible  words." — 
Ibid.,  p.  125. 

"The  Christian  discipline." — Christian  System,  p.  85. 

Charles  V.  Segar,  a  Campbellite,  says:  "The  argument 
and  details  of  these  views  are  to  be  found  in  a  work  called 
the  Christian  System,  the  fundamental  work,  so  to  speak, 
of  the  Disciples  as  a  religious  people." — Life  of  A.  Campbell, 
p.  26. 

"As  to  Brother  Campbell,  he  was  a  great  and  good  man, 
but  he  was  not  inspired,  and  he  made  some  mistakes,  and 
none  worse  than  failing  to  adopt  the  true  worship — a  thing 
he  plainly  taught — and  establishing  instead  thereof  this  hire- 
ling priesthood,  which  has  grown  to  be  the  most  intolerant, 
impious,  and  prescriptive  religious  corporation  on  earth,  not 
excepting  the  Roman  hierarchy." — Christian  Leader,  June  1, 
1897.  (A  Campbellite  paper.) 

"They  were  accordingly  immersed,  on  a  confession  of  faith 
in  the  Son  of  God,  and  united  with  the  regular  Baptists.  .  .  . 
The  prejudice  and  passion  of  some  excitable  and  intolerant 
men  who  then  held  a  leading  influence  in  the  Redstone  Asso- 
ciation, rendered  it  prudent  for  Mr.  Campbell  to  withdraw, 


176  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

after  a  few  years,  from  that  connection.  Against  his  own 
wishes,  he  was  compelled  by  the  force  of  ecclesiastical  oppo- 
sition to  act  separately  from  the  Baptist." — Hayden  History, 
p.  46. 

Editorial  in  the  Christian  Leader:  "Alexander  Campbell 
spent  fifty  years  of  life  trying  to  uproot  an  army  of  clergy- 
men, but  lo  and  behold,  since  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1866,  we  have  an  army  of  clergymen  in  our  midst 
as  large  and  menacing  as  the  one  he  fought  against.  The 
world  is  about  to  absorb  our  distinctive  plea."  (August  26, 
1897.) 

"The  great  reformation  which  never  was  PERFECT,  and 
lacking  in  power  commensurate  with  its  imperfections,  is  now 
practically  divided  and  subdivided.  We  have  the  'Progres- 
sives' and  the  'Loyal'  and  in  each  of  these  parties  there  are 
MINOR  PARTIES." — Gospel  Echo,  August  13,  1896. 

John  F.  Rowe,  a  Campbellite,  says:  "The  effort  of  the 
Campbells  was  not  simply  to  reform  the  church,  as  was  the 
case  with  Luther,  Calvin  and  Wesley,  but  to  restore  the 
primitive  order  of  things,  as  left  by  the  accredited  ambas- 
sadors of  Jesus  Christ."— The  Disciples  of  Christ,  p.  44.  Pub- 
lished in  Saint  Louis,  Missouri,  1888. 

ANCIENT  TRADITION  IS  NOT  NECESSARILY  TRUE. 

Alexander  Campbell:  "The  plea  of  ancient  tradition  is 
the  strength  of  popery  and  the  weakness  of  Protestantism. 
We  advocate,  not  ancient,  but  original  Christianity.  The  plea 
of  high  antiquity  or  tradition  has  long  been  the  bulwark  of 
error.  It  cleaves  to  its  beloved  Mother,  tradition,  hoary  tra- 
dition, with  an  affection  that  increases  as  she  becomes  old  and 
feeble.  Errorists  of  all  schools  are  exceedingly  devout  and 
dutiful  so  far  as  the  precept,  'Honor  thy  father  and  thy 
mother,'  is  concerned." — Christian  Baptism,  book  2,  chap.  2, 
p.  233.  (Quoted  from  Facts  for  the  Times,  p.  17.) 

LOVE  THY  NEIGHBOR  AS  THYSELF. 

George  F.  Whitley,  a  Campbellite,  says:  "Brethren,  I  want 
to  say  in  all  firmness  that  I  believe  the  Methodist  denomina- 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  177 

tion  to  be  the  dirtiest  and  meanest  denomination  now  extant, 
Catholics  not  excepted.  The  Methodist  Church  is  a  daughter 
of  Rome  and  to-day  is  blinding  more  eyes  in  ignorance  than 
all  of  Satan's  host  combined.  .  .  .  Now,  brethren,  come;  I  am 
into  it  now.  I  will  never  give  down.  I  will  wield  the  sword 
and  I  pray  for  power  to  behead  the  Methodist  fraternityv"- 
Primitive  Christian,  Wellington,  Kansas,  May  3,  1894. 

Rev.  T.  H.  Popplewell,  a  noted  Campbellite,  says:  "The 
question  was  asked  in  our  meeting  here  (Panama,  Nebraska)  : 
Do  you  believe  that  all  other  denominations  will  go  to  hell? 
To  this  we  [Reverend  Popplewell]  made  the  following  pointed 
reply:  They  will  if  they  do  not  comply  with  the  one  law  of 
pardon  which  was  obligatory  upon  the  people  of  Pentecost  at 
the  house  of  Cornelius  and  all  other  examples  found  in  Acts 
of  Apostles.  Sure  this  hurt,  but  is  it  not  the  truth?" — Primi- 
tive Christian,  November  23,  1897. 

W.  P.  Flippon,  a  Campbellite,  says:  "They  may  join  the 
Baptist  Church  or  Methodist  Church,  but  not  the  church 
of  Christ  of  whom  the  whole  family  in  heaven  and  earth  is 
named.  The  Lord  added  to  the  church  of  Christ  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost  by  the  people  believing  Peter's  testimony 
concerning  Christ,  repenting  and  being  baptized  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins.  That  put  them 
into  Christ's  church,  which  is  his  body. — Primitive  Christian, 
April  4,  1895,  Reverend  Popplewell  editor. 

Rev.  Alexander  Campbell  says:  "In  truth,  there  can  be 
no  discipline  in  any  congregation  unless  it  be  an  organized 
body;  and  no  body  can  be  organized  unless  it  is  known  who  are 
members  of  it." — Christian  System,  p.  91.  Published  in  Saint 
Louis,  Missouri. 

Again  he  says:  "Finally,  while  endeavoring  to  abolish  the 
old  sects,  let  us  be  cautious  that  we  form  not  a  new  one.  This 
may  be  done  by  either  adding  to,  or  subtracting  from,  the  apos- 
tolic constitution  a  single  item.  Our  platform  must  be  as  long 
and  as  broad  as  the  New  Testament.  .  .  .  Every  party  in 
Christendom,  without  respect  to  any  of  its  tenets,  opinions, 
or  practices,  is  a  heresy,  a  schism — unless  there  be  such  a 
party  as  stands  exactly  upon  the  apostles'  ground.  .  .  .  Whose 


178  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

party  we  are,  provided  we  hold  fast  all,  and  only  all  the 
apostolic  traditions,  and  build  upon  the  Bible,  the  whole  Bible, 
and  nothing  but  the  Bible."— Ibid.,  pp.  110,  111. 

November  20,  1900,  on  the  jubilee  anniversary  of  the  intro- 
duction of  the  Reformation  in  the  State.  In  this  address  he 
said  of  Alexander  Campbell:  "Venerable  patriarch  of  the 
clean  heart  and  the  silver  tongue!  Faithful  servant  of  God, 
and  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ!"  (Quoted  from  The  Truth  De- 
fended, p.  75.) 

"Here  I  should  speak  more  particularly  of  Father  Ryder's 
relations  to  the  church.  ...  He  was  first  the  eldest  brother, 
then  the  father,  finally  the  patriarch." — A.  S.  Hayden,  p. 
253.  (Ibid.) 

Rev.  Mr.  Campbell,  said:  "Some  new  revelation,  or  some 
new  development  of  the  revelation  of  God  must  be  made,  before 
the  hopes  and  expectations  >of  all  true  Christians  can  be  real- 
ized, or  Christianity  save  and  reform  the  nations  of  this  world. 
We  want  the  old  gospel  back  and  sustained  by  the  ancient 
order  of  things,  and  this  alone  by  the  blessing  of  the  divine 
Spirit  is  all  that  we  do  want,  or  can  expect  to  reform  and  save 
the  world.  And  if  this  gospel,  as  proclaimed  and  enforced  on 
Pentecost,  can  not  do  this,  vain  are  the  hopes  and  disappointed 
must  be  the  expectations  of  the  so-called  Christian  world." — 
Christian  System,  p.  250. 

SOMETIMES  IT  IS  WELL  TO  KNOW  WHAT  OUR 
NEIGHBORS  THINK  OF  US. 

In  a  tract  by  Jerome  A.  Scott,  entitled  V<A  brief  sketch  of 
Alexander  Campbell,"  it  is  stated:  "Scotch  Anti-Slavery  So- 
ciety .  .  .  posted  in  public  places  placards,  bearing  the  follow- 
ing inscription:  'Citizens  of  Edinburgh,  Beware!  Beware! 
The  Rev.  Alexander  Campbell,  of  Virginia,  United  States  of 
America,  has  been  a  slaveholder  himself,  and  is  still  a  de- 
fender of  man-stealers.'  " — Page  37. 

Thomas  W.  Grafton's  History  of  the  Campbellites,  quoting 
from  an  extract  from  a  journal  in  Scotland,  says:  "We 
beg  to  warn  our  readers  against  countenancing  a  Rev.  or 
Mr.  A.  Campbell  of  Virginia,  U.  S.,  who  has  announced  a 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  179 

course  of  lectures  in  the  Baptist  chapel  here.  He  is  the 
apologist  of  man-stealing  in  its  worst  form — the  advocate  of 
all  that  is  monstrous  in  that  most  monstrous  of  all  systems — 
American  slavery!  Let  liberty-loving,  slave-despising  people 
of  Paisley  repel  from  their  precincts  with  the  scowl  of  their 
worst  displeasure,  the  apologist  of  American  murderers,  and 
let  them  show  that  they  despise  the  advocate  of  man-stealing, 
all  the  more  because  he  comes  clothed  in  the  garb  of  sanctity" 
—Page  196. 

Austin  Burns  Smith  says:  "The  Christian  Church  as  it 
is  called  as  a  whole  is  not  what  it  was  in  the  times  of  Mr. 
Campbell." — An  Expose  of  False  Religion,  p.  3. 

DOCTRINAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 
CHURCH. 

"All  the  extraordinary  gifts  vouchsafed  to  Moses,  and  the 
apostles  and  prophets  of  the  gospel  institution,  ceased  when 
these  institutions  were  fully  developed  and  established.  Still 
a  regular  and  constant  ministry  was  needed  among  the  Jews, 
and  is  yet  needed  among  the  Christians;  and  both  of  these 
by  divine  authority" — Christian  System,  p.  82,  second  edi- 
tion. Published  at  Saint  Louis,  Missouri. 

"The  whole  community  chooses — the  seniors  ordain.  -This 
is  the  apostolic  tradition.  ...  So  the  Christian  system  in  its 
elections  and  ordinations  began.  It  is  immutable.  .  .  .  Are 
we  asked  for  authority?  We  produce  it  with  pleasure:  1 
Corinthians  16:  3  is  just  to  the  point.  'And',  says  Paul  to 
the  Saints  in  Corinth,  'when  I  come  whomsoever  you  shall 
approve  by  letter  them  will  I  send  to  bring  your  liberality  to 
Jerusalem.'  " — Ibid.,  pp.  88,  90. 

"There  is  no  other  confession  of  faith  on  which  the  church 
can  be  built,  on  which  it  can  possibly  stand  one  and  undivided, 
but  on  this  one." — Ibid.,  p.  63. 

"The  only  apostolic  and  divine  confession  of  faith  which 
God  the  Father  of  all  has  laid  for  the  church — and  that  on 
which  Jesus  himself  said  he  would  build  it,  is  the  sublime  and 
supreme  proposition :  That  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Messiah, 


180  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

the   Son  of  the  living   God.    This  is  the  peculiarity  of  the 
Christian  System,  its  specific  attribute." — Ibid.,  p.  62. 

"Let  the  Bible  be  substituted  for  all  human  creeds.  .  .  . 
The  positive  commandments  of  God  for  human  legislation 
and  tradition."— Ibid.,  p.  117. 

Elder  Neal,  a  Campbellite,  says:  "That  a  great  message 
was  to  come  forth,  and  Alexander  Campbell  got  it  from  God 
and  delivered  it  to  the  people."— Christian  Standard,  June  30, 
1000. 

SUCCESSOR. 

Rev.  Alexander  Campbell  said:  "Successors  must  be  suc- 
cessors in  full,  or  they  are  not  successors  at  all.  To  illustrate 
this — does  not  the  existing  President  of  the  United  States 
inherit  all  the  power  and  authority  of  George  Washington, 
by  virtue  of  constitutional  succession?  Does  he  not  possess 
the  same  power,  in  all  its  length  and  breadth,  its  height  and 
depth,  as  did  his  predecessors,  from  the  first  to  last?  This  is 
true  of  every  constitutional  office  in  the  civilized  world.  All 
the  power  which  any  predecessor  can  have,  belongs  to  every 
incumbent:  so  in  the  church  if  it.  have  constitution  at  all." 
— Campbell  and  Purcell  debate,  p.  51. 

ORIGIN  OF  "DISCIPLES  OF  CHRIST." 

Rand  McNally  and  Company's  Encyclopedia  and  Gazetteer, 
page  238,  says:  "Campbell,  Alexander,  founder  of  the  sect 
known  as  the  'Disciples  of  Christ,'  or  more  commonly  the 
'Campbellites,'  was  born  in  1788.  At  first  a  Presbyterian, 
in  1812  he  formed  a  connection  with  the  Baptists  and  for 
sometime  he  labored  as  an  itinerant  preacher.  In  1826  he 
published  a  translation  of  the  New  Testament  in  which  the 
words  baptism  and  baptist  gave  place  to  immersion  and  im- 
merser.  Campbell  gradually  formed  a  large  party  of  fol- 
lowers, who  began  about  1827  to  form  themselves  into  a  sect 
under  the  designation  of  "The  Disciples  of  Christ,"  which  in 
1881  had  in  the  United  States  as  many  as  5,100  churches  and 
591,821  members.  The  late  President  Garfield  was  in  early 
life  a  Campbellite  preacher."  (The  above  paragraph  was  cop- 
ied by  F.  M,  Slover.) 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  181 

NAME  "CHRISTIAN." 

"The  disciples  .  .  .  were  first  called  Christians  at  Antioch 
.  .  .  contemptuously  .  .  .  imposed  upon  them  by  the  Gentile 
world  about  A.  D.  43." — William  Smith,  Dictionary,  p.  152. 

Rev.  Alexander  Campbell  said:  "If  the  Lord  had  given  this 
name,  why  have  withholden  it  till  the  year  45?  Why  have 
given  it  in  Antioch,  and  not  in  Jerusalem?  Why  did  not  Luke 
adopt  it  in  the  sequel  of  his  history?  Why  not  adopted  by  the 
apostles  in  their  epistles?  Why  never  used  but  by  enemies 
like  Agrippa,  or  in  reference  to  persecutions,  as  in  the  case 
of  Peter's  allusion?  These,  and  other  such  dictates  of  reason, 
show  how  frail  are  the  arguments  of  those  who  assume  for  it 
a  divine  origin,  and  would  thence  enjoin  it  upon  us  by  a  divine 
authority.  We  have  no  particular  objection  to  being  called 
Christians,  but  we  object  to  having  the  name  imposed  upon 
us  as  of  divine  authority." — Millennial  Harbinger,  vol.  4,  pp. 
52,  53. 

A.  Campbell,  replying  to  Mr.  Stone's  defense  of  the  name 
Christian,  as  a  denominational  name,  says:  "I  am  bold  to 
affirm,  in  the  face  of  all  criticism,  that  there  is  not  the  least 
authority  in  the  word  chrunatizo  here  used  (Acts  21,  26)  for 
concluding  that  the  name  Christian  came  from  God.  ...  If 
it  had  been  given  by  the  authority  6f  the  Lord  it  would  not 
have  been  delayed  ten  years  after  the  day  of  Pentecost,  nor 
reserved  for  the  city  of  Antioch  to  be  the  place  of  its  origin." 
— Millennial  Harbinger,  5,  2,  pp.  395,  396. 

Alexander  Campbell  says:  "They  were  all  coelders,  co- 
bishops,  coapostles,  as  respected  each  other;  and  as  respected 
all  other  officers,  the  apostles  were  first." — Campbell  and  Pur- 
cell  Debate,  p.  14. 

"We  have  emphatically  stated  that  the  first  point  is. to  estab- 
lish the  office.  If  there  is  no  office,  there  can  be  no  officer." 
—Ibid.,  pp.  98,  99. 


"Within  the  past  few  months  the  American  Institute  of 
Sacred  Literature  has  been  reorganized.  While  the  old  name 
has  been  retained,  the  control  has  been  vested  in  a  body  called 


182  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

the  Council  of  the  Seventy." — The  Christian  Evangelist,  April 
16    1896,  p.  249 

PRESIDENCY. 

"The  decision  of  James,  which  by  unanimous  consent  be- 
came the  decision  of  the  council." — Christian  Evangelist, 
December  1,  1892,  p.  764- 

CAMPBELLITES    RECOGNIZE    AUTHORITY    TO    BAP- 
TIZE IN  OTHER  CHURCHES. 

Elder  J.  H.  Garrison  says:  "I  would  receive  all  who  have 
been  baptized,  whether  once  or  thrice,  who  are  in  good  stand- 
ing as  Christians.  The  extra  immersions  in  the  case  of  Dun- 
kards  do  not  nullify  their  obedience.  Persons  are  not  bap- 
tized into  religious  parties,  whatever  they  may  think,  but  into 
Christ,  if  so  be  that  they  believe  in  Christ." — Christian 
Evangelist,  Saint  Louis,  Missouri,  February  1,  1895. 

Elder  B.  J.  Pinkerton  says :  "As  far  as  my  experience  and 
observation  extend,  it  is  the  universal  custom  of  our  preachers 
to  receive  such  persons  (that  have  been  baptized  by  minis- 
ters of  other  churches)  without  rebaptism,  unless  they  demand 
it." 

Elder  D.  R.  Dungan^chancellor  of  Cotner  University,  Ne- 
braska, wrote  February  8,  1895 :  "Persons  who  have  believed 
in  the  Christ,  repented  of  sin,  and  confessed  the  Savior,  and 
obeyed  the  Lord  in  baptism,  being  buried  with  Christ,  whether 
by  Methodist  or  Baptist,  have  been  scripturally  baptized;  such 
is  my  view." 

Elder  W.  W.  Hopkins,  of  the  Christian  Evangelist,  Saint 
Louis,  Missouri,  February  1,  1895,  said  in  answering  a  ques- 
tion put  by  Bishop  Hunt:  "1.  We  baptize  into  Christ  and 
not  the  church.  2.  The  validity  of  baptism  depends  on  the 
faith  of  the  candidate  and  not  the  office  of  the  administrator. 
For  the  sake  of  order  it  would  be  better  for  the  preacher  or 
elder  to  baptize;  but  a  baptism  is  not  invalid  because  done 
by  a  lay  member." 

Elder  J.  H.  Garrison,  editor  of  the  Christian  Evangelist, 
wrote  in  answering  a  question  asked  by  Bishop  Hunt: 
"It  is  not  the  custom  of  our  ministers  to  require  believers 


PARSONS'  TEXT   BOOK  iba 

» 

uniting  from  other  churches  who  have  been  baptized,  whether 
they  understood  that  when  they  were  baptized,  it  was  for  the 
remission  of  sins.  That  would  be  an  utter  perversion  of  our 
position  as  to  what  is  the  creed  or  confession  of  faith  on 
which  the  church  rests.  There  may  be  a  few  schismatics  in 
Texas  who  have  made  that  sort  of  a  creed,  but  they  do  not 
represent  the  churches  of  this  reformation." 

Compare  this  statement  of  Alexander  Campbell,  the 
founder  of  their  church:  "Now  if  our  baptism  is  for  any 
other  end  or  purpose  than  was  that  to  which  Paul  submitted, 
it  is  another  baptism  as  much  as  bathing  for  health  is  differ- 
ent from  a  Jewish  ablution  for  legal  uncleanness  or  impurity. 
The  action  has  a  meaning  and  a  design;  and  it  must  be 
received  in  that  meaning  and  for  that  design,  else  it  is  another 
baptism."— Campbell  and  Rice  Debate,  p.  439. 

TWO  BOYS  BAPTIZED  ONE  ANOTHER. 

"I  was  attending  a  meeting  held  in  Coffeyville,  Kansas,  in 
1890,'  if  I  remember  right,  and  there  I  may  have  been  con- 
victed as  I  have  since  found  out.  But  at  the  time  another 
boy  named  Cooper,  and  I  thought  ourselves  converted,  and 
so  we  went  to  a  pond  and  proceeded  to  baptize  each  other 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost.  I  was  re- 
ceived into  the  Christian  ( Campbell! te)  Church  at  Pawnee, 
Oklahoma,  by  Elder  Dunkliberger,  on  the  aforesaid  baptism 
at  the  organization  of  the  Pawnee  Christian  church  in  the 
early  part  of  1895,  if  I  remember  the  date  right.  I  give  this 
merely  as  a  statement  of  facts,  and  do  not  regard  it  as 
expressing  any  opinion  of  mine  on  any  line." — Signed  by 
Arthur  L.  Suthard.  Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this 
23d  day  of  October,  1899,  Freeman  E.  Miller,  notary  public, 
Stillwater,  Payne  County,  Oklahoma. 

Editorial:  "The  'Christian  Church'  of  to-day  represents 
the  church  of  Christ  plead  for  by  Brother  Campbell  very 
much  as  the  'sects'  and  Rome  did  in  the  days  of  Campbell,  and 
I  see  no  reason  why  they  should  not  join  the  'federation.'  If 
ever  there  was  a  sect  or  an  apostate  church,  the  'Christian 
Church'  of  to-day  is  one,  and  among  all  the  churches,  the 


184  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

church  of  Christ  has  not  a  more  bitter  enemy  to-day.  It  is 
so  here  in  the  town  where  I  am  writing  these  words,  and  in 
many  other  places,  as  thousands  can  testify." — Primitive 
Christian,  December  16, 1902. 

SIGNS    OF     THE    LAST    DAYS. 
"Sea  and  the  waves  roaring." — Luke  21:25. 

"The  tidal  disturbances  are  the  most  remarkable  and  exten- 
sive of  which  there  is  any  record.  It  is  said  their  velocity 
was  about  a  thousand  miles  an  hour.  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
have  been  agitated  in  their  whole  extent.  We  mention  in 
particular  the  tidal  waves  at  Saint  Thomas,  and  all  the  neigh- 
boring islands,  which  were  full  fifty  feet  in  height.  .  .  .  Those 
who  witnessed  these  waves  say  that  the  ocean's  roar  was  ex- 
ceedingly frightful." — New  York  Tribune,  November  12,  1868. 

"That  most  horrible  phenomena,  the  tidal  wave,  how  many 
struggling  mortals  has  it  swept  back  into  the  deep?  What 
countless  ships  has  it  crushed  against  the  shores?  *  What 
mighty  cities  has  it  plundered  of  life  and  wealth,  strewing 
their  streets  with  the  ocean  sand,  and  peopling  their  palaces 
with  sea  monsters!  I  saw  the  whole  surface  of  the  sea  rise 
as  if  a  mountain  side  actually  standing  up.  Another  shock 
with  a  fearful  roar  now  took  place.  I  called  to  my  companions 
to  run  for  their  lives  on  to  the  pampa.  Too  late,  with  a 
horrible  crush  the  sea  was  on  us,  and  at  one  sweep  dashed 
what  was  Iquique  on  the  pampa.  I  lost  my  companions,  and 
in  an  instant  was  fighting  with  the  dark  waters.  The  mighty 
waves  surged  and  roared  and  leaped.  The  cries  of  human 
beings  and  animals  were  frightful." — Harper's  Magazine,  1869. 

"These  portentous  phenomena  are  seriously  engaging  the 
attention  of  the  scientific  world.  The  remark  that  they  only 
seem  to  us  more  frequent  because  our  means  of  communi- 
cation are  more  complete  and  rapid,  and  that  we  now  hear 
from  all  parts  of  the  globe  simultaneously,  will  not  explain 
the  matter,  since  the  late  commotions  have  been  attended  by 
disturbances  of  both  land  and  sea  in  parts  of  the  earth  which 
have  been  constantly  accessible  for  centuries,  that  were  totally 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  185 

unparalleled  in  previous  history.  The  change  of  the  gulf 
stream  from  its  course  and  the  alteration  of  climates  have 
been  some  of  these  increased  marvels." — New  York  Mercantile 
Journal,  November,  1868. 

THE    GREAT    HURRICANE'S    JOURNEY    FROM    FLORIDA    TO    EASTERN 

MAINE. 

"NEW  YORK,  August  29. — New  York  was  visited  by  the 
extreme  eastern  portion  of  the  storm,  which  struck  the  city 
about  1  o'clock  last  night  with  a  wind  velocity  of  fifty-four 
miles  per  hour. 

"Never  within  the  memory  of  the  oldest  Battery  lounger 
was  such  a  tide  seen.  The  waves  carried  in  by  the  heavy  wind, 
aided  by  the  strong  flood  tide,  dashed  against  the  sea  wall 
with  terrific  force.  The  spray,  which  would  leap  twenty  feet 
upward,  would  be  carried  by  the  wind  fully  300  feet  inshore. 

"SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA,  August  29. — This  city  was  struck  on 
Sunday  evening  by  one  of  the  worst  hurricanes  it  has  ever 
known. 

"The  hurricane  struck  the  city  almost  on  the  anniversary 
of  the  great  hurricane  of  1881.  The  storm,  which  has  been 
predicted  by  the  Weather  Bureau  for  several  days,  began 
early  in  the  afternoon  and  increased  from  then  until  it  reached 
the  climax  between  11  and  12  o'clock  last  night,  having  blown 
for  eight  hours  in  a  terrific  hurricane. 

"All  the  wharves  along  the  river  front  and  the  Ocean 
Steamship  Company,  and  Savannah,  Florida  &  Western 
Railroad  wharves  were  under  water,  and  the  tide  was  still 
rising  rapidly.  A  view  of  the  city  at  daylight  the  next  morn- 
ing revealed  a  scene  of  wreck  and  ruin  that  surpassed  that 
of  the  great  hurricane  of  1881. 

"The  wharves  are  gone,  the  new  fumigation  plant  which  has 
cost  the  city  so  much  money  is  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and 
nine  vessels  which  were  waiting  for  release  to  come  to  the 
city  are  high  and  dry  in  the  marsh  and  no  doubt  will  be  totally 
wrecked. 


186  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

"RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA,  August  29. — Passenger  train  No.  78, 
of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line,  with  Pullman  sleepers  attached, 
reached  here  this  evening  at  6.50,  from  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  having  been  delayed  twenty-four  hours  by  the  de- 
structive storm  which  swept  over  the  South  Atlantic  coast 
Sunday  and  Monday. 

"J.  B.  Beddingfield,  express  messenger,  who  was  in  Charles- 
ton during  the  storm,  says  that  the  battle  of  wind  and  rain 
commenced  with  terrific  force  at  1  o'clock  Sunday  afternoon, 
and  continued  without  cessation  until  Monday  morning  at  7 
o'clock. 

"There  was  not  fifty  yards  space  in  the  streets  that  did  not 
contain  debris,  such  as  roofs  of  houses,  signs,  awnings,  tele- 
graph poles,  etc.,  which  were  scattered  in  all  directions.  The 
roof  of  the  Saint  Charles  Hotel  was  blown  off  and  the  streets 
were  flooded  with  water  almost  to  the  doors. 

"He  saw  fourteen  box  cars  that  had  been  blown  from  the 
railroad  track  and  turned  over.  All  the  phosphate  works  in 
the  city  were  blown  down  or  badly  damaged.  There  was  a 
schooner  lying  high  in  the  streets,  having  been  driven  from 
its  anchorage." — Philadelphia  Press,  August  30,  1893, 

THE  GULF  CALAMITY. 

"NEW  ORLEANS,  October  4,  1893. — The  loss  of  life  caused  by 
the  storm  will  probably  reach  one  thousand.  .  .  .  Cheniere 
Island  only  five  houses  left  standing  out  of  three  hundred, 
while  the  land  was  covered  with  corpses.  Damages  estimated 
at  a  million  dollars.  .  .  .  Details  almost  rival  those  of  the 
Atlantic  hurricane." — Philadelphia  Ledger,  October  5,  1893. 

EARTHQUAKES. 

"Earthquakes  in  divers  places." — Matthew  24:  7. 

Mr.  D.  T.  Taylor,  in  his  "Coming  Earthquake,"  quotes  from 
Messrs.  Pontors  and  Mallett,  who  prepared  and  arranged 
chronologically,  and  distinguished  the  registered  earthquakes 
into  five  periods,  as  follows: 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 


187 


NO. 

NO.   OF    YEARS. 

AVERAGE. 

Those  recorded  before  A  D  1 

58 

1700 

Thence  to  the  end  of  the  9th  century  .  .  . 
Thence  to  the  end  of  the  15th  century  .  . 
Thence  to  the  end  of  the  18th  century  .  . 
Thence  to  1850  . 

197 
532 
2804 
3240 

900 
600 
300 
50 

1  in  4  years. 
1  in  1  year. 
9  in  1  year. 

Thence  to  1868  .'  

5000 

18 

277  in  1  year 

— Saints'  Herald,  vol.  36,  no.  1,  pp.  10,  11,  January  5,  1890. 

Burnett,  in  his  Theory  of  the  Earth,  remarks:  "Let  us 
then  proceed  in  our  explication  of  this  sign,  the  roaring  sea 
and  waves,  applying  it  to  the  end  of  the  world.  I  do  not  look 
upon  this  ominous  noise  of  the  sea  as  the  effect  of  a  tempest; 
for  then  it  would  not  strike  such  terror  into  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth,  nor  make  them  apprehensive  of  some  great 
evil  coming  upon  the  world,  as  this  will  do.  What  proceeds 
from  visible  causes,  and  such  as  may  happen  in  a  common 
course  of  nature,  does  not  so  much  amaze  or  affright  us  ... 
And  such  a  troubled  state  of  the  waters  as  does  not  only  make 
the  sea  unmanageable,  but  also  strikes  terror  into  all  the  mari- 
time inhabitants  that  live  within  the  view  or  sound  of  it."- 
Truth  Defended, -p.  229. 

"PHILADELPHIA,  PENNSYLVANIA,  September  16,  1878. — To 
His  Excellency,  the  President  of  the  United  States :  The  con- 
viction grows  deeper  with  thoughtful  men  that  'the  Lord  has  a 
controversy  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  land.'  On  the  very 
threshold,  as  we  had  flattered  ourselves,  of  returning  pros- 
perity, we  find  the  whole  country  plunged  into  mourning,  and 
the  wished  for  revival  of  business  seriously  delayed  by  the 
alarming  pestilence  which  ravages  our  southern  borders.  This 
is  but  the  last  in  a  long  series  of  calamities  which  reaches 
back  to  the  very  beginning  of  our  civil  war.  That  these 
facts  attest  the  displeasure  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  world 
against  this  nation  we  are  profoundly  convinced,  and  also 
that  our  only  hope  of  escape  from  still  sorer  retributions  lies 
in  a  diligent  inquiry  into  the  causes  of  God's  anger,  and  in 
speedy  and  heartfelt  repentance  and  reformation.  That  the 
mind  of  the  people  may  be  turned  to  these  momentous  con- 


188  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

siderations,  and  that  united  prayer  for  the  grace  of  repentance 
and  for  the  removal  of  his  heavy  judgments  may  ascend  to  the 
Father  of  Mercies  through  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ, 
we,  citizens  of  Philadelphia  and  vicinity,  respectfully  ask  you 
to  appoint,  in  your  wisdom,  an  early  and  convenient  day  to  be 
observed  by  the  whole  nation  as  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation 
and  prayer. — John  Y.  Dobbins,  president  M*.  E.  Preachers' 
Meeting;  Nathan  B.  Durell,  secretary  of  the  Preachers'  Meet- 
ing; R.  Johns,  moderator  Presbyterian  Ministerial  Associa- 
tion ;  Charles  Brown,  secretary  Presbyterian  Ministerial  Asso- 
ciation ;  R.  G.  Moses,  president  Baptist  Ministerial  conference ; 
J.  Newton  Ritner,  secretary  Baptist  Ministerial  conference; 
John  Alexander,  chairman  executive  committee  Sabbath  Alli- 
ance; James  Pollock,  superintendent  U.  S.  Mint;  0.  C.  Bos- 
byshell,  coiner  U.  S.  Mint;  J.  C.  Booth,  melter  and  refiner 
U.  S.  Mint;  Wm.  E.  DuBois,  assayer  U.  S.  Mint;  George  H. 
Stuart,  Joshua  L.  Baily,  Amos  R.  Little,  and  many  others." — 
Saints'  Herald,  vol.  25,  p.  3^5;  Truth  Defended,  pp.  226,  227. 
"The  Chicago  Tribune,  for  November  15,  1871,  contained  the 
following  summary  of  the  calamities  for  the  year:  'The  year 
1871  will  hardly  be  considered  in  history  a  year  of  grace.  In 
point  of  fatality  to  human  life,  and  destruction  to  material 
values  by  extraordinary  natural  causes,  no  year  in  the  history 
of  the  world  can  equal  it.  Overwhelmed  as  we  are  by  our  own 
disaster,  we  have  given  little  attention  to  what  has  been  trans- 
piring abroad,  and  have  almost  come  to  consider  ourselves 
the  only  sufferers.  The  retrospect,  however,  is  a  terrible  one. 
War,  famine,  pestilence,  fire,  wind  and  water,  and  ice  have 
been  let  loose  and  done  their  worst,  and  with  such  appalling 
results,  and  with  such  remarkable  phenomena  accompanying 
them,  that  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  men  have  sometimes 
thought  the  end  of  the  world  had  come." — Ibid.,  pp.  230,  231. 

"EARTHQUAKE   IN    ITALY. 

"ROME,  April  21,  1.45  p.  m. — Thirteen  earth  shocks  were 
felt  in  succession  this  morning  in  the  province  of  Siena,  Tus- 
cany. Several  buildings  were  damaged,  including  the  city 
hall  at  Poggibonsi,  nineteen  miles  south  of  Florence.  The 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  189 

inhabitants  of  Poggibonsi  were  panic  stricken." — Kansas  City 
Journal,  April  22,  1906. 

"EARTHQUAKE  IN  SAN  FRANCISCO,  CALIFORNIA. 

"Summary  of  Greatest  Catastrophe  Known  in  World  for 
Many   Years. 

"OAKLAND,  April  18.— Two  terrific  earthquake  shocks  shook 
San  Francisco  this  morning,  the  first  one  coming  at  5  o'clock, 
the  second  three  hours  later.  Hundreds  of  .buildings,  mostly 
in  the  tenement  district,  were  toppled  over.  Others  were 
weakened. 

"Fires  immediately  broke  out  in  many  parts  of  the  busi- 
ness district  and,  the  fire  fighting  force  being  crippled  by 
lack  of  water,  the  flames  spread  rapidly  throughout  the  heart 
of  the  city. 

"At  10  o'clock  to-night  eight  square  miles  had  been  burned 
and  the  fire  was  still  raging. 

"The  number  of  dead  was  estimated  from  200  to  500,  the 
injured  at  1,000  and  the  homeless  at  20,000. 

"The  property  loss,  it  is  believed,  already  exceeds  $100,- 
000,000. 

"Three  thousand  troops  patrol  the  streets,  protecting  the 
banks  and  the  property  piled  up  out  of  doors. 

"Most  of  the  principal  buildings  in  the  city  have  been  de- 
stroyed. 

"The  city  is  cut  off  from  the  world  by  wire,  ferry  and  rail- 
road. No  one  was  allowed  to  enter  or  leave  the  city,  and  the 
only  messages  sent  over  the  one  or  two  wires  working  from 
Oakland  were  transmitted  across  the  bay  by  special  messenger 
service." 

"MANY  COAST  TOWNS  SUFFER  HEAVY  DAMAGE  FROM  SHOCK 

AND    FIRE. 

"Insane  asylum  at  Agnews  demolished  and  inmates  buried 
in  ruins;  all  but  one  of  Leland  Stanford  University  buildings 
destroyed;  Santa  Rosa  and  Salinas  each  suffer  $1,000,000  loss; 


190  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Sacramento,  Berkeley  and  Oakland  shaken." — The  Saint  Louis 
Republic,  April  19,  1906. 

"ONE  THOUSAND  KILLED. 

"Jamaica  Earthquake  Disaster  Grows  in  Horror. 

"City  of  Kingston  in  Ashes. 
"Every  House  Within  a  Ten-Mile  Radius  Damaged. 

"90,000  Persons  Homeless. 
"Bodies  of  Dead  Burn  in  Their  Ruined  Homes. 

"Negroes  loot  rum  shops  amid  ghastly  scenes;  with  money 
useless,  rich  and  poor  face  hunger;  United  States  battle  ships 
hurry  food  to  famishing  refugees. 

"SAINT  THOMAS,  D.  W.  I.,  January  16. — Reports  received 
here  from  Jamaica  say  it  is  estimated  that  1,000  persons  have 
been  killed  by  the  earthquake  and  fire,  and  that  90,000  per- 
sons are  homeless.  The  damage  to  Kingston  alone  is  placed 
at  fully  $10,000,000. 

"Advices  received  from  Jamaica  declare  that  all  people  have 
been  warned  to  keep  away  from  Kingston.  The  stench  is 
described  as  awful.  Money  is  useless.  The  banks  have  been 
burned,  but  the  vaults  are  supposed  to  be  safe.  The  misery 
on  ail  sides  is  indescribable.  Rich  and  poor  alike  are  home- 
less. Provisions  of  all  kinds  are  urgently  needed. 

"Sir  James  Fergusson,  vice-chairman  of  the  Royal  Mail 
Steamship  Company,  is  among  the  killed.  The  dead  are  being 
buried  under  smoldering  ruins.  The  mercantile  community 
suffered  most  severely,  warehouses  falling  on  them.  Many 
professional  men  a*re  dead  or  injured. 

"The  negroes  are  looting.  Ghastly  scenes  are  being  wit- 
nessed. All  the  shops  have  been  destroyed  and  all  the  build- 
ings in  and  around  Kingston  are  in  ruins. 

"The  governor  and  his  party  are  safe. 

"It  is  reported  that  an  extinct  volcano  in  the  parish  of 
Portland  is  showing  signs  of  activity.  No  news  has  yet  been 
received  from  other  parts  of  the  island  of  Jamaica." — Kansas 
City  Journal,  January  17,  1907. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  191 

"TWO  THOUSAND  WERE  KILLED. 

"Awful  Loss  of  Life  by  the  Valparaiso  Earthquake. 

"Property  Loss  Two  Hundred  and  Fifty  Million. 

"Many  Large  Adjacent  Towns  are  Destroyed. 

"Eighty-two  shocks  were  felt  Thursday  night;  fire  is  con- 
suming what  is  left  of  the  stricken  city;  railroads  are  all 
destroyed;  food  is  scarce  and  meat  impossible  to  obtain; 
nights  are  cold  and  people  are  sleeping  in  the  open ;  the  catas- 
trophe is  worse  than  the  San  Francisco  horror;  many  are 
killed  at  Santiago." — Kansas  City  Journal,  August  20,  1906. 

"THE  COSTA  RICAN  EARTHQUAKE  THE  WORST  IN  THAT 
COUNTRY'S  HISTORY. 

"SAN  JOSE,  COSTA  RICA,  May  7. — As  order  is  partly  re- 
stored and  the  district  stricken  by  the  earthquake  of  Wednes- 
day heard  from  in  a  direct  manner,  it  is  recognized  that  the 
country  has  suffered  the  greatest  catastrophe  of  its  history. 
While  it  was  first  believed  that  not  over  one  thousand  per- 
sons were  killed  when  the  ancient  capital,  Cartago,  was  de- 
stroyed, it  is  now  apparent' that  this  number  will  not  near 
cover  the  casualties. 

"Aside  from  the  one  thousand  dead  and  two  thousand  in- 
jured in  Cartago  news  from  Paraiso  to-night  says  that  one 
thousand  persons  were  killed  there.  It  is  now  believed  that 
the  entire  death  roll  will  amount  to  at  least  2,500.  The  prop- 
erty loss  may  reach  thirty  million  dollars. 

"Many  smaller  towns  in  the  mountain  districts  have  not 
been  heard  from,  but  it  is  feared  many  of  them  suffered. 
The  entire  country  is  still  near  a  panic.  Pestilence  has  added 
to  the  suffering  at  Cartago.  Of  the  five  hundred  bodies  re- 
covered yesterday  only  a  small  percentage  were  buried  to-day. 

"The  quake  has  had  a  demoralizing  effect  on  the  ignorant 
classes  of  the  people,  so  that  many  have  turned  back  toward 
pagan  practices  and  are  erecting  altars  and  offering  sac- 
rifices."— The  Kansas  City  Star,  Sunday,  May  8,  1910. 


192  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

FREQUENCY    OF    EARTHQUAKES   ARE    INDICATIVE 
OF  LAST  DAYS. 

"THREE  DESTRUCTIVE  ONES  OCCUR  WITHIN  A  YEAR. 

•"That  within  a  single  year  three  earthquakes  of  sufficient 
violence  to  throw  down  houses  and  destroy  life  should  have 
occurred  in  such  close  proximity  to  large  cities  as  to  cause 
the  appalling  disasters  at  San  Francisco,  Valparaiso,  and 
Kingston  is  certainly  remarkable.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at  that  this  coincidence,  for  such  it  must  be  considered,  has 
given  rise  to  a  widespread  popular  belief  that  the  earth  is  in 
a  state  of  unusual  instability.  It  is  to  be  noted,  however,  that 
there  are  thousands  of  earthquakes  each  year,  and  that  of 
these  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  annually  are  of  sufficient 
violence  to  be  classed  as  world-shaking — that  is  to  say,  of 
such  vigor  as  to  make  pronounced  records  on  the  seismographs 
in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  to  endanger  life  and  property 
near  the  center  of  the  disturbance.  There  have  been  no  more 
such  shocks  than  usual  during  the  past  year;  but  three  of 
them  have  happened  to  occur  near  centers  of  population  in 
the  Western  Hemisphere. 

"Most  of  the  violent  earthqu'akes  pass  with  little  or  no 
public  notice,  because  they  produce  no  noteworthy  effect  on 
human  beings.  For  example,  the  earthquake  off  the  coast  of 
Colombia,  January  31,  1906,  one  of  the  most  violent  of  the 
year,  attracted  almost  no  attention;  yet  had  it  occurred  near 
a  city  there  would  inevitably  have  been  terrible  destruction. 
Of  all  the  earthquakes  recorded,  whether  vigorous  or  moder- 
ate, the  vast  majority  occur  in  the  two  well  defined  earth- 
quake belts.  Up  to  1903  approximately  160,000  earthquakes 
had  been  recorded,  94  per  cent  of  which  occurred  in  these  two 
belts.  One  of  the  earthquake  belts,  which  nearly  encircles  the 
Pacific,  and  in  which  lie  both  San  Francisco  and  Santiago,  has 
been  the  seat  of  53  per  cent  of  all  recorded  earthquakes. 
The  other  belt,  in  which  Jamaica  lies,  extends  nearly  east  and 
west,  including  the  East  and  West  Indies,  the  Mediterranean, 
and  the  Caucasus  and  Himalayan  regions.  It  is  a  noteworthy 
and  significant  fact  that  the  Panama  canal  zone  lies  in  this 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  193 

belt.     In  it  41  per  cent  of  all  recorded  earthquakes  have  oc- 
curred."— Leslie's  Weekly. 

"TOWN  WIPED  OUT. 

"Bellevue,  a  Texas  Village,  Destroyed  by  Tornado. 

"At  Least  Eleven  Killed. 

"Fire  Followed  the  Tornado  and  Consumed  the  Ruins. 
"Only  three  houses  out  of  two  hundred  remain  standing; 
town  of  Stoneburg  struck  also  and  several  persons  said  to 
have  been  killed  there." — Kansas  City  Journal,  April  .27,  1906. 

"TORNADOES  KILL  FOURTEEN. 

"Deal  Death  and  Destruction  in  Northern  Texas. 

"Partly  Wreck  Five  Towns. 
"One    Hundred    People   Injured,    Some    Fatally. 
"FORT   WORTH,   TEXAS,    May   25. — Town    residences,   farm 
buildings  and  crops  destroyed  and  live   stock  killed;   sweep 
swath  two   hundred  yards  wide  through   villages." — Kansas 
City  Journal,  May  26,  1907. 

"A  SMALL  TWISTER  IN  KANSAS. 

"No  One  Injured,  but  Some  Damage  in  Jefferson  County. 

"PERRY,  KANSAS,  April  28. — A  tornado  swept  a  tract  three 
miles  long  and  one  half  mile  wide  last  night  between  Oska- 
loosa  and  Perry,  in  Jefferson  County. 

"Fences,  trees,  and  sheds  on  the  farms  of  A.  Hart,  Frank 
Hebbe,  and  William  Patterson  were  lowered,  and  the  resi- 
dence of  Charles  Young  was  damaged.  It  is  not  known  that 
anyone  was  injured." — Kansas  City  Star,  April  29,  1906. 

PAST   DISASTERS   AT    SEA. 

"THE    FRENCH    LINER    'LA    BOURGOYNE'    WENT    DOWN    SIX    YEARS 
AGO  TO-DAY. 

"The  loss  of  the  Norge  comes  on  the  eve  of  the  anniversary 
of  the  sinking  of  the  French  liner  La  Bourgoyne,  July  4, 
1898,  which  had  stood  out  as  the  most  appalling  sea  tragedy 


194  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

of  modern  times.  The  Bourgoyne  was  in  collision  with  the 
British  ship  Cromarty shire,  sixty  miles  south  of  Sable  Island. 
The  accident  happened  at  5  o'clock  in  the  morning,  a  time 
when  practically  all  the  passengers  were  asleep  in  their  berths. 
Of  the  734  on  board  the  Bourgoyne,  535  were  drowned  or 
killed.  Of  the  217  first  and  second  cabin  passengers  206 
were  lost. 

"The  next  previous  great  shipping  disaster  occurred  March 
7,  1897,  when  the  French  line  steamship  Ville  de  Saint  Na- 
zaere,  bound  from  New  York  to  Port  Au  Prince  and  carrying 
a  crew  of  seventy  men  and  ten  passengers,  ran  into  a  terrific 
storm  off  Cape  Hatteras,  took  fire  and  went  down.  Only 
twenty-nine  hands  got  away  from  the  vessel. 

"In  June,  1897,  the  steamer  Aden,  bound  from  Yokohama 
to  London,  was  lost  off  the  island  of  Gocotia,  east  of  Africa, 
and  seventy-eight  hands  were  lost.  Another  great  tragedy 
was  the  loss  of  the  North  German  Lloyd  steamer  Elbe,  on 
the  morning  of  January  30,  1895.  Of  the  350  passengers 
and  crew  on  the  Elbe  only  twenty  were  saved  in  one  of  the 
boats,  which  was  picked  up  by  a  fishing  smack  the  following 
evening. 

"The  Hamburg-American  Packet  Company's  steamship 
Pomerania,  from  New  York  for  Hamburg,  was  sunk  in  the 
English  channel,  off  Dover,  at  midnight  November  25,  1878, 
by  a  collision  with  a  British  bark.  Every  member  of  the  crew 
got  safely  away,  but  the  forty-seven  passengers  were  drowned. 
April  2,  1873,  the  White  Star  steamer  Atlantic,  from  Liverpool 
to  New  York,  was  wrecked  on  Mars  Heads,  Cape  Prospect, 
near  Halifax.  Five  hundred  and  forty-six  persons  perished. 
The  steamship  Hungarian  of  the  Montreal  Steamship  Company 
foundered  in  a  storm  February  20,  1860,  on  Cape  Ledge,  near 
Halifax.  Two  hundred  and  five  persons,  including  all  the 
officers,  were  drowned. 

"Thrilling  is  the  story  of  the  sinking  of  the  Arctic,  in  colli- 
sion with  the  Vesta,  in  mid-ocean  in  September,.  1854.  The 
Arctic  was  the  crack  ship  of  the  Collins  line.  It  was  a  paddle 
wheel  steamer,  the  Vesta  a  screw  steamer.  Of  the  400  passen- 


PARSONS'  TEXT   BOOK  195 

gers  on  the  Arctic  323  were  lost." — Kansas  City  Times,  July 
4,  1904. 

"Tidal  wave  sweeps  an  island  off  Florida  and  kills  325 
persons.  Hurricane  at  Havana,  cost  twenty  lives  and  does 
$2,000,000  damage  on  the  Island  of  Cuba.  The  United  States 
cruiser  Brooklyn  grounded.  Two  thousand  American  soldiers 
suffered  and  two  are  seriously  hurt.  Central  America  is 
ravaged  by  storms  lasting  ten  days." — Saint  Louis,  Missouri, 
Republic,  October  22,  1906. 

"Hundreds  plunge  to  death.  Rock  Island  train  goes  into 
Cimarron  River,  in  Oklahoma.  The  loss  of  life  has  been 
frightful  according  to  reports.  Only  six  passengers  saved. 
Estimated  that  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  were  drowned. 
Engine  and  all  the  cars  are  submerged  in  swollen  waters.  No 
names  can  now  be  given.  All  is  confusion  at  scene  of  the 
frightful  disaster." — The  Topeka  State  Journal,  September 
18,  1906. 

RAILROAD   WRECKS. 

YEAR.          KILLED.          INJURED. 

1895  -      6,136         33,748 

1896  5,845  38,687 

1897  6,437  36,731 

1898  6,859  40,882 

1899  7,123  44,620 

1900  7,865  50,320 

1901  8,455  53,339 

1902  8,588  64,662 

1903  9,840  76,553 

1904  10,000         76,000 

— New  York  Herald,  1904,  quoted  from  the  Autumn  Leaves. 

"IS  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE  THE  SECOND  COMING  OF 
CHRIST? 

"We  answer  no;  but  find  that  some  of  the  most  prominent 
representatives  of  that  faith  do  claim  that  Christian  Science 
is  the  second  coming  of  Christ  to  earth. 

"In  a   letter   to   the   writer   dated   Boston,    Massachusetts, 


196  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

June  13,  1898,  Rev.  S.  J.  Hanna  said  in  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion: 'Christian  Scientists  have  no  doubt  this  is  the  Second 
Coming.'  This  Reverend  Hanna  was,  for  many  years,  editor 
of  the  Christian  Science  Journal  and  First  Reader  of  the 
First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  in  Boston. 

"A  similar  question  had  been  sent  to  Mrs.  Mary  Baker  Eddy, 
the  founder  of  the  Christian  Science  Church,  and  in  reply  she 
directed  her  secretary,  Calvin  A.  Frye,  to  write  from  Concord, 
New  Hampshire,  April  21,  1895,  as  follows:  'I  am  requested 
to  say  in  the  words  of  scripture,  "Go  and  tell  John  the  things 
ye  see  and  hear;  the  sick  are  healed,  the  deaf  hear,  the  lame 
walk,  etc.,  and  blessed  is  he  whosoever  shall  not  be  offended 
in  me."  ' 

"Kind  reader,  take  your  Bible  and  turn  to  Matthew  11:  1-6 
and  Luke  7:  19-23,  and  you  will  have  no  doubt  but  what  Mrs. 
Eddy  would  have  every  reader  of  those  texts,  and  her  letter 
referred  to  above,  to  know  that  she  is  positive  that  Christian 
Science  is  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 

"Mr.  Ezra  W.  Reid,  a  prominent  writer  and  defender  of 
Mrs.  Eddy's  claims  as  a  restorer  or  discoverer,  is  the  author 
of  a  leading  article  on  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ  in  the 
October,  (1897)  Christian  Science  Journal  of  Boston.  Mr. 
Reid  refers  to  several  religious  societies  as  having  taught  the 
second  coming  of  Christ,  but  having  all  failed  in  their  expecta- 
tions, it  was  left  to  Mrs.  Eddy  to  present  to  the  world  the 
glorious  coming  of  the  Lord  in  what  she  proudly  advocates 
as  Christian  Science. 

"Reverend  Reid  says:  'We  can  not,  within  the  limits  of 
this  article,  enter  into  the  discussion  of  the  various  beliefs  of 
these  people,  their  differences,  and  the  mathematical,  chrono- 
logical, and  historical  arguments  which  prove  the  time  of  the 
•second  advent;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  from  1843  to  1873  there 
was  quite  a  widespread  expectation  that  it  would  occur  within 
that  period.  In  fact,  many  eminent  English  standard  writers 
and  commentators  fixed  upon  the  year  1866  as  the  year  which 
would  bring  the  Lord  and  his  kingdom.  This  date  is  one 
which  especially  interests  Christian  Scientists.  .  .  .  Was  it 
co-incidental  that  Christian  Science  should  have  been  dis- 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  197 

covered  in  the  year  1866?  As  indicated  in  the  above  quotation, 
there  is  no  reason  for  expecting  that  the  beginning  of  the 
new  dispensation  should  be  so  very  different  from  the  years 
preceding  it,  that  is  from  the  standpoint  of  mortal  man. 
Are  not  all  of  God's  works  performed  through  the  still  small 
voice?  It  was  in  this  manner,  and  in  this  year  of  1866,  that 
Rev.  Mary  Baker  Eddy  discovered  Christian  Science,  which, 
from  the  testimony  of  Jesus  and  the  apostles,  we  feel  sure 
is  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  .  .  .  The  kingdom  has  come, 
and  as  the  light  which  is  all  diffused,  is  the  presence  of  the 
Christ.' 

"Mr.  Reid  also  said:  'It  was  the  Christ  of  whom  Jesus 
was  the  "highest  human  corporeal  concept"  .  .  .  who  was  to 
come  again  after  the  gospel  parenthesis;  but  when  Jesus 
ascended  from  the  Mount  of  Olives,  he  laid  aside  for  ever  the 
flesh — body — and  "henceforth  know  we  him  no  more  after  the 
flesh."  ' 

"It  seems  strange  that  anyone  capable  of  reading  the  Bible 
would  believe  and  support  a  religious  theory  so  wholly  adverse 
to  the  true  mission  of  the  blessed  Lord  as  that  advocated  by 
so-called  Christian  Scientists.  We  must  conclude  that  the 
wisdom  of  that  church  is  no  wiser  than  its  founder,  Mrs.  Eddy. 

"A  very  instructive  account  of  Christian  (?)  Science  (?) 
will  be  found  in  the  Saints'  Herald  of  December  20,  1899.  It 
is  well  worth  rereading. 

"C.  J.  HUNT." 
— Zion's  Ensign,  December  29,  1904. 

This  statement  indicates  that  we  have  reached  our  golden 
mean  theologically,  and  are  on  the  decline: 

"DECLINE  IN  NUMBER  OF  DIVINITY  STUDENTS. 

"The  decline  in  the  number  of  divinity  students  is  by  no 
means  confined  to  the  English  speaking  race.  For  the  past 
twenty  years,  in  Germany  there  has  been  a  steady  decrease 
in  the  number  of  those  who  enter  the  divinity  schools  of  the 
universities.  Statistics  recently  published  go  to  show  that  the 
total  number  of  students  of  all  faculties  has  during  the  past 


198  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

twenty  years  risen  from  27,245  to  42,390,  and  shows  a  rela- 
tively larger  increase  than  the  population.  Law,  medicine  and 
philosophy  have  all  flourished  as  the  population  has  increased, 
but  theology  has  steadily  declined.  Twenty  years  ago,  there 
were  2,610  divinity  students.  Ten  years  ago  the  number  had 
dropped  to  1,627,  while  five  years  ago  it  had  further  fallen 
to  1,042.  To-day  the  number  is  only  993,  or  a  little  over  a 
third  of  what  it  was  twenty  years  ago.  This  decrease  is  not 
peculiar  to  any  one  school,  but  affects  all  the  divinity  schools, 
from  Berlin  to  Erlangen  and  Griefswald.  To  account  for  this 
is  not  a  very  difficult  matter.  Many  may  say  that  the  falling 
off  is  due  to  the  openings  for  brilliant  careers  constantly 
occurring  in  other  directions.  For  ourselves,  we  believe  it 
is  entirely  due  to  the  decay  of  faith  in  the  German  universi- 
ties. The  teacher's  rostrum  may  be  occupied  by  a  man  of 
brilliant  gifts  and  profound  learning,  but  if  he  have  no  faith, 
his  class  room  is  robbed  of  both  light  and  heat.  When  skep- 
ticism masquerades  as  advanced  Christian  thought,  we  are 
not  surprised  if  the  class  rooms  are  empty." — Episcopal  Re- 
corder. .  (Quoted  from  Our  Hope,  Mendota,  Illinois,  May  23, 
1906.) 

"THE  CHURCH  LOSING  POWER. 

"Opinion  of  Bishop  William  Lawrence  at  Boston. 
"Doubtful  if  It  Is  Keeping  Pace  with  the  Population,  He  Says; 

the  Commercial  and  Material  Life's  Strong  Hold  on  the 
People. 

"BOSTON,  May  13. — At  the  118th  annual  convention  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  in  the  diocese  of  Massachusetts  here  to-day, 
Bishop  William  Lawrence  in  his  address  said: 

"  'So  far  as  statistics  can  show,  it  is  doubtful  if  the  church 
is  more  than  keeping  pace  with  the  population.  The  ministry 
is  not  apparently  increasing  in  numbers  or  power.  A  great 
proportion  of  the  intelligent  men  and  leaders  of  our  communi- 
ties have  no  interest  in  the  church.  There  is  a  great  mass 
of  fine  character  and  of  Christian  temper  outside  the  church. 
Infidelity,  sincere  and  insincere,  is  all  about  us. 

"  'More  than   that,   the  interest   in   commercial,   material, 


"PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  199 

social,  and  intellectual  life  is  gaining  a  stronger  hold  on  the 
people.  The  tests  of  life  among  many  are  in  social  and  finan- 
cial success.  Sport  and  amusement  have  made  great  inroads 
on  our  Sunday  congregations. 

"  'Below  all  these  influences  are  the  lower  standards  of 
taste  and  the  grosser  immoralities.  The  power  of  strong 
drink  has  its  clutch  upon  our  cities,  their  people  and  govern- 
ment; lust  is  firmly  intrenched;  gambling  is  unsettling  habits 
of  industry;  many  forms  of  temptation  are  undermining  the 
characters  of  hosts  of  youth.  All  these  influences  are  potent 
enemies  of  the  Christian  faith.' 

"In  view  of  such  conditions,  the  bishop  deprecated  the  dis- 
cussion now  going  on  in  diocesan  conventions  of  the  question 
whether  the  name  of  the  church  should  be  changed,  and  con- 
cluded thus: 

"  The  truth  is,  my  brethren,  that  there  is  one  thing  that 
we  all  in  this  church  do  need — bishops,  clergy  and  laity — and 
that  is  a  more  personal  revision  of  our  responsibility  to  God 
and  a  closer  abiding  in  his  presence.'  " — Kansas  City  Times, 
May  14,  1903. 

INSPIRATION  WANTING. 

"New  York  Arena,  pages  190,  191:  So  long  as  they  appeal 
to  the  inspiration  of  the  past  for  all  authority,  disclaim  any 
right  of  their  own  to  speak  in  the  name  of  Jehovah,  teach 
that  revelation  is  finished  and  sealed  up,  so  long  they  will  go 
halting  and  their  words  be  well  nigh  powerless.  While  they 
need  not  assume  a  boastful  spirit,  yet  they  should  have 
wrought  within  their  souls  a  conviction  of  the  truths  they 
utter,  should  feel  that  these  truths  are  from  God  and  that  in 
expressing  them  they  speak  for  God.  They  should,  moreover, 
teach  the  possibility  of  present-day  prophets  and  prepare  the 
people  to  receive  them.  Let  this  be  done,  and  then,  when  a  new 
prophet  arises,  he  will  be  quickly  understood.  .  .  .  To-day  the 
cry  comes  to  the  clergy  of  America  as  never  before,  Prepare 
ye  the  way  of  the  Lord" — Saints'  Herald,  September  3,  1902. 


200          PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

BABIES  OUT  OF  HELL. 

Rev.  Dr.  George  L.  McNutt  said:  "The  Presbysterian 
Church  let  the  babies  out  of  hell  a  few  years  ago;  or  rather, 
they  confessed  that  the  babies  had  never  been  there." — Farm- 
ington,  Iowa,  Chautauqua,  July  23,  1905.  (Supplied  by  Elder 
Elbert  A.  Smith.) 

"BABIES  RELEASED  FROM  HADES,  SAYS  BISHOP. 

"SYRACUSE,  NEW  YORK,  May  21. — Bishop  P.  A.  Ludden,  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  made  the  following  comment 
yesterday  upon  the  revised  Presbyterian  confession  before  the 
general  assembly  in  New  York: 

"  'On  behalf  of  all  the  infants  who  have  been  in  hell  for 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years  I  wish  to  express  gratification 
that  they  are  to  be  let  out.  All  those  who  are  to  come  will 
be  grateful  to  their  friends  that  they  are  not  to  meet  the  same 
awful  fate.  These  poor  people  are  coming  back  to  the  mother 
church  which  they  left  years  ago. 

"  'As  to  the  Pope:  Well,  I  don't  see  that  they  have  changed 
his  position  any.  They  called  him  an  anti-Christ.  It  was 
exceedingly  kind  of  them,  exceedingly  kind.'  " — Farmers'  Trib- 
une, May  20,  1902. 

"THEOLOGICAL  CEMETERIES." 

Dr.  Austin  K.  Deblois  said:  "Our  theological  seminaries 
should  be  called,  theological  cemeteries.  They  are  places 
where  young  men  go  to  be  buried." — Farmington,  Iowa,  Chau- 
tauqua, July  23,  1905.  (Supplied  by  Elder  Elbert  A.  Smith.) 
SULTAN  OPENS  TURKEY  TO  JEWISH  COLONISTS. 

"CONSTANTINOPLE,  March  3,  1906. — The  Sultan  has  opened 
the  gates  of  Palestine  to  the  wandering  children  of  Israel,  by 
signing  an  edict  permitting  them  to  establish  themselves  in 
any  part  of  the  Ottoman  Empire. 

"As  a  sign  of  protest  against  the  cruel  treatment  of  Rus- 
sia toward  the  Jews,  the  Sultan  ordered  the  officers  at  the 
different  boundaries  of  the  empire  to  allow  the  Jew  entrance 
with  or  without  passports.  The  Russian  Zionists  sent  a 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  201 

delegation  to  Turkey  and  Egypt  to  prepare  everything  for  a 
systematic  emigration  from  the  Czar's  empire  into  the  new 
land  of  promise." — Saint  Louis,  Missouri,  Post-Dispatch,  Sun- 
day, March  4,  1906. 

"CONSTANTINOPLE,  August  1,  1906. — The  influx  of  Jews  into 
Palestine  during  the  last  few  months  has  been  remarkable. 

"Some  weeks  ago  about  5,000  Jewish  immigrants  from 
Russia  and  the  Balkan  States  landed  at  Jaffa.  They  are 
settling  in  the  plain  of  Sharon,  round  the  towns  of  Ramleh 
and  Lydda  and  in  other  Jewish  colonies  along  the  seacoast. 
...  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  some  of  the  most  fertile 
districts  of  Palestine  are  possessed  by  Jewish  colonists.  The 
Jews  are  repossessing  the  land  by  degrees,  and  should  this 
quick  rate  of  possession  continue,  the  whole  country  will  in  a 
few  years  belong  entirely  to  them. — Post-Dispatch,  Saint 
Louis,  Missouri. 

RETURN    OF    THE   JEWS. 

"Rev.  R.  H.  Hershall,  by  birth  and  honor  a  Jew,  having 
extensively  visited  his  brethren  in  Europe  and  Asia,  and  heard 
in  their  synagogues,  their  confessions  of  sin  and  their  earnest 
cries  unto  the  Lord  in  the  land  of  their  dispersion,  says : 

"I  found  a  mighty  change  in  their  minds  and  feelings  in 
regard  to  the  nearness  of  the  time  of  their  deliverance.  Some 
assigned  one  reason,  some  another,  but  all  agreed  in  thinking 
the  time  is  at  hand."— Page  360. 

Hand  of  God  in  History,  by  Rev.  Hollis  Read,  A.  M.,  pub- 
lished in  1870,  p.  348:  "There  is  much  at  present  in  their 
civil  condition  that  indicates  the  returning  favor  of  heaven. 
Nothing  decisive  or  permanent  was  done  to  remove  the  dis- 
abilities of  the  Jews  till  the  beginning  of  the  present  century. 
...  In  England,  a  single  ray  of  light  darted  above  the  horizon, 
but  was  soon  extinguished.  An  act  passed  in  Parliament 
(1753) ,  in  favor  of  the  Jewish  emancipation,  but  was  repealed 
the  next  year;  and  not  until  the  year  1830  was  the  question 
renewed,  and  then  only  to  be  lost.  Yet  in  the  same  year  a  bill 
in  their  favor  was  carried  in  France." 

On  page  352,  he  says:     "Fifty  years  ago  every  Jew  in  the 


202  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Turkish  Empire  might  have  been  slaughtered,  and  no  great 
sensation  produced  anywhere.  But  now,  so  changed  is  public 
feelings  towards  the  Jews  that  let  the  foot  of  oppression 
attempt  to  crush  them,  or  the  bloody  mouth  of  persecution 
to  devour  them,  and  ten  thousand  voices  are  raised  in  one 
general  remonstrance." 

"The  'pillar  of  cloud  and  of  fire'  has  long  turned  its  dark 
side  towards  them,  and  God  has  treated  them  as  aliens  and 
enemies;  and  now  that  the  light  side  is  beginning  to  shine 
on  them,  we  may  indulge  the  delightful  hope  that  God's  former 
love  is  about  to  return.  .  .  .  Recent  religious  and  intellectual 
movements  among  them  indicate  that  the  day  of  their  redemp- 
tion is  near.  The  Jewish  mind  is  everywhere  awake.  Never 
was  there  among  them  such  a  spirit  of  inquiry.  A  few  facts 
will  illustrate.  .  .  .  Some  are  anxiously  looking  for  the  speedy 
restoration  of  their  nation  to  their  beloved  Palestine;  others 
expect  the  immediate  advent  of  the  Messiah;  others  doubt 
whether  he  be  already  come." — Page  353. 

From  Jewish  Chronicle,  (London,  England,)  of  1854,  we 
select  as  follows: 

"Why  should  not  the  springs  and  brooks  flow  from  the  hills 
of  Judea  as  freely  as  from  the  hills  of  Ephraim  and  Samaria? 
In  form  and  composition  they  are  the  same;  and,  what  is  in 
their  favor  in  this  respect,  they  are  larger  and  more  in 
number.  But  they  do  not.  Water  is  their  greatest  want. 
Much  more  artificial  irrigation  is  needed  here  than  further 
north.  It  is  this  dryness  and  heat  of  the  soil  that  makes 
this  part  of  the  country  so  much  more  adapted  to  vines  and 
figs  than  farther  north.  These  thrive  best  in  a  hot  and 
dry  soil. 

"The  Israelites  were  often  threatened  by  Moses  and  the 
prophets,  that  in  case  of  disobedience,  'the  rain  should  be 
withheld.'  If  they  were  withheld,  they  must,  of  course  be 
shortened  in  duration.  Now  the  rains  that  fell  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  rainy  season,  and  especially  those  that  fell  after 
the  usual  period  for  them  to  cease,  were  called  'the  latter 
rains.'  These  occasional  showers,  if  continued  through  the 
time  of  the  ripening  fruit  and  grain,  would  add  greatly 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  203 

to  their  abundance  and  perfection.  The  withholding  of  them 
would  have  the  contrary  effect.  The  withholding  of  the  'latter 
rains,'  and  the  promise  of  their  return,  are  things  often 
spoken  of  in  scripture.  These  latter  rains  have  been  withheld 
century  after  century,  till  the  land  has  been  brought  to  the 
state  that  we  now  [1854 — C.  S.]  find  it;  and  there  can  be 
but  little  doubt  that  the  return  of  these  rains  again  will  be 
the  means  that  God  will  employ  to  restore  the  land  to  its 
ancient  fruitfulness. 

"If  we  had  no  scripture  to  bear  us  out  in  this  opinion,  we 
should  be  well  assured  of  it,  from  the  well-known  scientific  fact 
that  all  soils  require  a  certain  amount  of  rain  to  carry  on  the 
decomposition  of  mineral  matter  in  sufficient  quantities  for 
the  annual  supply  of  the  crops.  This  is  especially  necessary  in 
such  a  geological  formation  as  the  land  of  Palestine.  So  we 
see  there  is  no  physical  obstacle  in  the  way,  for  God  has  the 
means  close  at  hand,  whenever  the  time  for  him  to  do  it  comes. 
For  this  event  we  can  all  adopt  one  of  the  expressions  in  a 
Jewish  prayer — 'The  Lord  hasten  it  even  in  our  day.'  And 
one  fact  there  is,  that  I  will  mention,  that  looks  somewhat  as 
though  this  prayer  might  be  answered  "even  in  our  day.'  For 
since  the  efforts  that  are  now  making  for  the  improvement 
and  settlement  of  the  Jews  in  Palestine  commenced,  the  rains 
have  fallen  more  than  they  have  for  many  an  age  before.  No 
question  is  more  often  asked  respecting  this  land  than,  What 
can  be  done  to  reclaim  it  from  its  barrenness?  I  know  not 
that  a  better  answer  can  be  given  than  this — cultivate  it,  and 
trust  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  for  the  'former 
and  latter  rains.'  " — Jewish  Chronicle,  October  13,  1854;  also 
Millennial  Star,  vol.  16,  October  23,  1854. 

"The  late  Russian  embassador  at  the  court  of  Rome,  de- 
clared that  'throughout  the  vast  dominion  of  Germany  and 
Poland,  there  is  a  general  movement  of  inquiry,  and  a  longing 
expectation  abroad,  that  something  will  take  place  to  restore 
them  to  the  land  of  their  fathers.'  Rev.  T.  Grimshawe  says: 
'A  vast  number  of  Jews  are  preparing  to  emigrate  from 
Germany  and  Poland  to  settle  in  Palestine;  while  throughout 
the  whole  of  Europe  and  Asia  a  general  expectation  is  raised 


204  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

among  them  that  the  ^me  of  their  deliverance  is  drawing 
near.  Throughout  Italy  the  same  uneasiness  and  expectation 
may  be  observed/  This  movement  of  the  Jews  towards 
Palestine,  whatever  may  be  thought  of  it  as  an  evidence  of 
a  literal  restoration,  is  at  least  indicative  of  a  state  of  mind 
not  to  be  overlooked  in  our  present  discussion." — Page  356. 

"Rev.  Mr.  Bellson,  a  converted  Jew  and  missionary  in 
Posen,  and  late  candidate  for  the  bishopric  in  Jerusalem:  'I 
am  more  than  ever,'  says  he,  'impressed  that  the  Jews  are 
hastening  to  a  great  crisis.  It  must  be  evident  to  any  common 
observer  that  there  is  a  great  movement  among  them.  This 
wonderful  people,  who  for  eighteen  hundred  years  remained 
unaltered,  have  undergone  a  marvelous  revolution  within  the 
last  forty  years,  especially  within  the  last  twenty.'" — Page 
357.  (Quoted  from  Saints'  Herald,  March  7,  1898,  p.  158.) 

"The  first  act  in  the  modern  emancipation  of  the  Jews  was 
the  enfranchisement  of  the  Jews  in  England  in  1753." — 
Kellog,  p.  160. 

"In  the  year  1755  Moses  Mendelssohn,  a  student  of  great 
culture  and  almost  boundless  influence  over  his  people,  pub- 
lished the  first  of  his  writings,  which  prepared  his  people  for 
the  great  change  that  was  about  to  dawn  upon  them.  In 
1874  Louis  XVI  of  France  abolished  the  'body  tax,'  which  re- 
duced the  Jews  as  far  as  possible  to  the  level  of  beasts.  In 
1787  Frederick  William  of  Prussia  repealed  many  of  the 
oppressive  laws  against  the  Jews.  In  1788  Louis  XVI  ap- 
pointed a  royal  commission  to  remodel,  on  principles  of  justice, 
all  laws  concerning  the  Jews.  When  the  French  revolution 
arose  the  emancipation  of  the  Jews  in  France  became  complete, 
and  as  it  spread  over  Europe  there  went  with  it  everywhere 
the  proclamation  of  liberty  to  the  Jews." — Kellog,  p.  198. 

"Eighteen  centuries  of  war,  ruin  and  neglect,  have  passed 
over  it.  Its  valleys  have  been  cropped  for  ages  without  the 
least  attempt  at  fertilization.  Its  terraced  walls  have  been 
allowed  to  crumble,  and  its  soil  has  washed  down  its  ravines, 
leaving  the  hillsides  rocky  and  sterile.  Its  trees  have  been 
cut  down  and  never  replaced.  Its  fields  have  been  desolate. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  205 

Its  structures  pillaged  and  all  its  improvements  ruthlessly 
destroyed.  A  land  of  ruins  without  man  or  beast.  Every- 
where, on  plain  or  mountain,  in  rock  desert,  or  on  beetling 
cliff,  the  spoiler's  hand  has  rested." — McClintock  and  Strong's 
Encyclopedia,  Article,  "Palestine." 

"The  beauty  and  fertility  of  the  Holy  Land,  so  much  cele- 
brated in  ancient  times  both  by  sacred  and  profane  writers, 
are  scarcely  discernible  in  its  present 'desolate  and  neglected 
condition.  The  culture  of  its  finest  plains  has  long  ceased. 
Its  springs  are  buried  beneath  heaps  of  rubbish.  The  soil 
of  the  mountains,  formerly  kept  up  by  terraces  and  covered 
with  vines,  is  washed  down  into  the  valleys.  And  its  emi- 
nences, once  covered  with  woods,  have  been  stripped  bare, 
and  parched  into  barrenness.  This  melancholy  change  is 
not  owing  to  any  deterioration  of  the  soil  or  of  the  climate, 
but  to  the  degeneracy  of  the  inhabitants,  who  groan  under 
the  most  intolerable  oppression,  and  are  exposed  to  every 
kind  of  pillage." — Edinburgh  Encyclopedia,  David  Brewster, 
edition  of  1830,  volume  16,  page  274,  article  "Palestine." 

"I  know  not  whether  you  are  aware  of  the  fact,  but  it 
is  one  that  is  fully  authenticated,  that  the  'latter  rain'  returned 
last  year  to  Mount  Zion — a  rain,  that  had  been  withheld, 
so  far  as  our  information  goes,  ever  since  the  dispersion  of 
the  people;  and  he  who  has  brought  back  the  'latter  rain'  in 
its  season,  will  also  give  the  'former  rain'  in  its  season ; 
and  these  returning  showers  of  earthly  blessings  are  the 
harbingers  of  returning  showers  of  spiritual  benedictions 
from  on  high." — Rev.  Hugh  Stowel,  in  Scottish  Presbyterian 
Magazine,  1853. 

"I  arrived  in  Indiana  a  few  days  since,  from  the  Eastern 
Continent;  I  stopped  at  Joppa  nearly  the  whole  winter.  For 
my  part  I  was  well' pleased  with  the  country.  It  is  certainly 
a  land  of  most  wonderful  fruitfulness  with  a  delightsome 
climate,  producing  everything  if  properly  cultivated,  and 
from  two  to  three  crops  in  a  year.  They  have  grain, 
fruit  and  vegetables  all  the  year  round;  in  fact,  I 
never  was  in  such  a  country  before;  I  have  seen  much 


206  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

good  country  in  Europe  and  America,  but  none  to  com- 
pare with  Palestine;  its  fruitfulness  is  uncommon,  and  the 
climate  the  most  delightsome,  even  in  winter.  I  did  not  see 
the  least  sort  of  frost,  and  vegetables  of  every  sort  were 
growing  to  perfection  in  gardens.  It  is  a  fact  that  the 
rain  and  dew  are  restored;  recently  (in  1853),  the  former 
and  latter  rain  were  restored,  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
natives." — Louis  Van  Buren,  sr.,  November  14,  A.  D.  -1867. 

"At  present  the  Jews  are  coming  here  by  the  hundreds.  .  .  . 
A  half  a  century  ago  there  were  only  thirty-two  Jewish 
families  in  all  Jerusalem,  and  the  number  in  Palestine  was 
only  three  thousand;  now  there  are  nearly  fifty  thousand  in 
the  Holy  Land,  and  three  fourths  of  the  population  is 
made  up  of  them." — F.  G.  Carpenter,  writing  from  Jerusalem, 
June  15,  1889,  in  National  Tribune. 

"Everywhere,  from  Dan  to  Bersheba,  I  saw  evidences  of 
Jewish  return  and  the  renewed  energy  and  activity  of  the 
Jewish  race.  As  a  people  the  Jews  are  flocking  back  to  the 
land  of  their  forefathers  in  great  numbers  and  from  all  parts 
of  Europe.  In  Jerusalem  and  its  neighborhood  particularly, 
every  plot  of  ground  for  sale  is  eagerly  bought  by  them. — 
Correspondent  of  the  London  Times,  1875.  The  products  of 
the  soil  range  from  peas,  beans,  wheat  and  barley  to  grapes, 
figs,  olives  and  apricots.  Lemons,  oranges,  dates  and  melons 
are  abundant.  Average  annual  rainfall  at  Jerusalem  is 
sixty  inches.  (Our  own  Atlantic  seaboard  is  only  forty-five 
inches.  Pacific,  same  climate  as  Palestine,  only  twenty-five.) 
— Herzog's  Encyclopedia,  Article,  "Palestine." 

"They  have  grain,  fruit,  and  vegetables  all  the  year  round; 
in  ...  Palestine;  its  fruitfulness  is  uncommon,  and  the  cli- 
mate the  most  delightsome;  ...  It  is  a  fact  that  the  rain 
and  dew  are  restored;  recently,  in  1853,  the  former  and  the 
latter  rain  were  restored,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  natives." 
—Presidency  and  Priesthood,  pp.  216,  217.  * 

CHRISTIANS    ARE    NOT    ALL    PRIESTS. 

Webster  says  of  the  priesthood:  "The  order  of  men  set 
apart  for  sacred  offices." 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  207 

WATERFALL   IN   PALESTINE. 

On  pages  22  and  23,  Mr.  Glaisher  says:  "The  average 
annual  fall  of  rain,  which  is  shown  at  the  foot  of  the  last 
column,  is  25.87  inches,  being  very  nearly  the  same  as  the 
fall  in  London,  though  the  annual  fluctuations  are  very  much 
greater. 

"By  taking  the  annual  falls  and  laying  them  down  as  a 
diagram  the  results  can  be  seen  at  a  glance.  The  first  thing 
noticeable  is  the  evident  increase  in  the  fall  of  rain  in  the 
later  years  of  the  series.  Up  to  the  year  1878  no  fall  of  rain 
had  reached  30  inches,  the  nearest  approach  being  29.75 
inches  in  1874;  but  in  the  diagram  in  the  years  from  1878 
to  1897  the  points  in  twelve  years,  viz:  1878,  1880,  1883,  1886, 
1888,  1890,  1891,  1892,  1893,  1894,  1896,  and  1897,  were  all 
well  above  30  inches.  .  .  . 

"By  taking  the  means  of  the  annual  falls  in  four  parts, 
viz:  the  ten  years  from  1861  to  1870,  ten  years  from  1871  to 
1880,  ten  years,  1881  to  1890,  and  eleven  years  from  1891  to 
1901,  the  means  of  the  four  periods  were  found  to  be: 

"In  the  10  years,  1861  to  1870 21.84  inches. 

"In  the  10  yea.rs,  1871  to  1880 24.61  inches. 

"In  the  10  years,  1881  to  1890 27.69  inches. 

"In  the  11  years,  1891  to  1901 29.03  inches. 

"Therefore  the  mean  fall  in  the  second  period  was  2.77 
inches  larger  than  the  first,  in  the  third  3.08  inches  larger 
than  in  the  second,  and  in  the  fourth  period  1.34  inches 
larger  than  in  the  third.  This  is  very  remarkable,  for  it 
shows  that  the  yearly  fall  of  rain,  though  not  distributed 
over  a  greater  number  of  days  than  was  the  case  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  series,  becomes  larger  with  each  succeeding 
period. 

"PAUL  M.  HANSON." 

— Saints'  Herald,  April  4,  1906.     (Letter  was  dated  at  Jeru- 
salem, Palestine,  February  27,  1906.) 

Prof.  J.  Leslie  Porter,  M.  A.,  who  visited  those  regions 
forty  years  ago:  "On  emerging  from  Bashan  and  the  olive 
groves  of  Gaza,  the  desert  was  before  us — bare,  white,  and 


208  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

monotonous,  without  a  solitary  tree,  or  'the  shadow  of  a  great 
rock/  or  a  single  patch  of  verdure.  As  we  rode  on  we  had 
overhead  the  bright  sky  and  blazing  sun;  and  beneath,  the 
flinty  soil,  reflecting  burning  rays  that  scorched  the  weeds 
and  stunted  camel-thorn,  and  made  them  crackle  like  charred 
sticks  under  our  horses'  feet.  As  the  day  advanced,  the 
sirocco  came  upon  us,  blowing  across  the  great  'Wilderness 
of  Wandering.'  At  first  it  was  but  a  faint  breath,  hot  and 
parching,  as  if  coming  from  a  furnace.  It  increased  slowly 
and  steadily.  Then  a  thick  haze  of  a  dull  yellow  or  brass 
color,  spreading  along  the  southern  horizon,  and  advanced, 
rising  and  expanding,  until  it  covered  the  whole  face  of 
the  sky,  leaving  the  sun,  a  red  globe  of  fire,  in  the  midst.  In 
a  few  minutes,  fine  impalpable  sand  began  to  drift  in  our 
faces,  entering  every  pore.  Nothing  could  exclude  it.  It  blew 
in  our  eyes,  mouths,  and  nostrils,  and  penetrated  our  very 
clothes,  causing  the  skin  to  contract,  the  lips  to  crack,  and  the 
eyes  to  burn.  Respiration  became  difficult.  We  sometimes 
gasped  for  breath;  and  then  the  hot  wind  and  hotter  sand 
rushed  into  our  mouths  like  a  stream  of  liquid  fire.  We  tried 
to  urge  on  our  horses,  but  though  chafing  against  curb  and 
rein  only  an  hour  before,  they  were  now  almost  insensible 
to  whip  and  spur.  We  looked  and  longed  for  shelter  from 
that  pitiless  storm,  and  for  water  to  slake  our  burning  thirst; 
but  there  was  none.  No  friendly  house  was  there;  no  rock 
or  bank;  no  murmuring  stream  or  solitary  well.  It  seemed 
to  us  as  if  the  prophetic  curse  pronounced  by  the  Almighty 
on  a  sinful  and  apostate  nation  was  now  being  fulfilled." 
—Giant  Cities-  of  Bashan,  p.  210. 

Dr.  Alexander  Keith  says:  "By  the  concurring  testi- 
mony of  all  travelers,  Judea  is  called  a  field  of  ruins. 
Columns,  the  memorials  of  ancient  magnificence,  covered  with 
rubbish,  and  buried  under  ruins,  may  be  found  in  all  Syria.  .  .  . 
How  marvelously  are  the  predictions  of  desolation  verified, 
when  in  general  nothing  but  ruined  ruins  form  the  most 
distinguished  remnants  of  the  cities  of  Israel,  and  when  the 
multitude  of  its  towns  are  almost  all  left,  with  many  a  vestige 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  209 

to  testify  of  their  number,  but  without  a  mark  to  tell  their 
name." — Evidences  from  Prophecy,  p.  93. 

COLONIES   IN     PALESTINE. 

Jewish  Encyclopedia,  volume  1,  page  246,  1904  A.  D.,  say 
that  in  Palestine  there  are  twenty-seven  colonies,  distributed 
as  follows: 

1.  In  the  land  of  Judah — 9  colonies  occupy  9,254  acres. 

2.  In  Samaria — 8  colonies  occupy  16,129  acres. 

3.  Upper  Galilee — 8  colonies  occupy  19,047  acres. 

4.  Trans   Jordan,    Damascus — different   societies    own    and 
control  16,507. 

Prophetic  conference,  held  at  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  July 
15,  1895,  in  charge  of  the  Presbyterian,  United  Presbyterian, 
Baptist,  and  Methodist  denominations,  said:  "Another  sign 
is  the  return  of  the  Jews  to  Palestine.  There  are  more  of 
them  there  now  than  there  were  after  the  return  from  the 
Babylonian  captivity.  ...  A  sign  which  is  undeniably  miracu- 
lous, too,  is  that  Palestine  is  again  becoming  fruitful,  after 
years  of  desolation,  during  which  scarcely  anything  would 
grow.  It  was  under  a  curse  and  the  curse  is  now  being  lifted." 
— Chicago  Inter-Ocean,  -August  17,  1895. 

Christian  Evangelist:  "We  have  noted  the  completion  of 
the  railway  from  Joppa  to  Jerusalem.  This  is  apparently  only 
the  beginning  of  a  new  era  for  Palestine.  The  land  that  has 
been  buried  in  slumber  for  eighteen  hundred  years  is  awaken- 
ing. ...  Is  Palestine  to  enter  upon  a  new  era  of  prosperity? 
That  now  seems  probable." — January  19,  1893. 

M.  A.  Beck  says:  "Of  late  years,  there  has  been  a  very 
remarkable  confluence  of  the  Jews  towards  Palestine.  .  .  . 
But  ever  since  1832,  when  Mehemet  AH  took  possession  of 
Assyria,  there  has  been  a  remarkable  flocking  of  the  Jews  to 
Palestine.  The  precise  number  of  them  at  present  (1842)  in 
the  Holy  Land  is  estimated  to  amount  to  about  forty  thou- 
sand."—History  of  the  Jews,  published  1843,  pp.  285-288. 


210  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

New  York  Evening  Post,  May  22,  1901:  "In  Jerusalem 
there  are  now  electric  lights,  telephones,  phonographs,  sani- 
tary plumbing,  modern  stores,  houses  built  with  'a.  m.  i.,'  and 
in  short,  most  of  the  comforts  of  civilized  life." 

Christian  Herald  of  September  8,  1897:  "The  restoration 
of  the  Jews  to  their  own  land  was  one  of  the  signs  by  which 
we  were  to  recognize  the  days  of  the  closing  dispensation." 

MRS.  E.  G.  WHITE'S  VIEW  ON  THE  JEWS  GATHERING 
BACK  TO  THE  HOLY  LAND. 

Mrs.  E.  G.  White  said:  "September  23  the  Lord  showed  me 
that  he  had  stretched  out  his  hand  the  second  time  to  recover 
the  remnant  of  his  people,  and  that  efforts  must  be  redoubled 
in  this  gathering.  .  .  .  Then  I  was  pointed  to  some  who  are 
in  the  great  error  of  believing  that  it  is  their  duty  to  go  to 
Old  Jerusalem,  and  think  they  have  a  work  to  do  there  before 
the  Lord  comes.  Such  a  view  is  calculated  to  take  the  mind 
and  interest  from  the  present  work  of  the  Lord,  under  the 
message  of  the  third  angel;  for  those  who  think  they  are  yet 
to  go  to  Jerusalem,  will  have  their  minds  there,  and  their 
means  will  be  withheld  from  the  cause  of  present  truth.  I 
saw  that  such  a  mission  would  accomplish  no  real  good,  and 
it  would  take  a  long  time  to  make  a  very  few  Jews  believe 
even  in  the  first  advent  of  Christ,  much  more  to  believe  in  his 
second  advent.  I  saw  that  Satan  had  greatly  deceived  some 
in  this  thing,  and  that  souls  all  around  them  in  this  land 
could  be  helped  by  them,  and  led  to  keep  the  commandments  of 
God,  but  they  were  leaving  them  to  perish.  ...  I  also  saw 
that  Old  Jerusalem  never  would  be  built  up;  and  that  Satan 
was  doing  his  utmost  to  lead  the  minds  of  the  children  of  the 
Lord  into  these  things  now,  in  the  gathering  time  to  keep 
them  from  throwing  their  whole  interest  into  the  present  work 
of  the  Lord,  and  to  cause  them  to  neglect  the  necessary  prepa- 
ration for  the  day  of  the  Lord." — Experiences  and  Views,  and 
Spiritual  Gifts,  vol.  1,  pp.  63-65.  (The  foregoing  was  fur- 
nished by  Elder  F.  G.  Pitt.) 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  211 

PRIESTHOOD. 

Buck,  in  his  Theological  Dictionary,  says:  "A  person  set 
apart  for  the  performance  of  sacrifice,  and  other  offices  and 
ceremonies  of  religion." — Page  369. 

"Smith,  in  his  Bible  Dictionary,  says:  "The  idea  of  a 
priesthood  connects  itself,  in  all  its  forms,  pure  or  corrupted, 
with  the  consciousness,  more  'or  less  distinct,  of  sin.  Men 
feel  that  they  have  broken  a  law.  The  power  above  them 
is  holier  than  they  are  and  they  dare  not  approach  it.  They 
crave  for  the  intervention  of  some  one  of  whom  they  can 
think  as  likely  to  be  more  acceptable  than  themselves.  He 
must  offer  up  their  prayers,  thanksgivings,  sacrifices.  He 
becomes  their  representative  'in  things  pertaining  unto  God.' 
He  may  become  also  (though  this  does  not  always  follow)  the 
representative  of  God  to  man.  The  functions  of  priest  and 
prophet  may  exist  in  the  same  person." — Page  763. 

Bingham  says:  "When  his  (God's)  ministers  are  to  be 
distinguished  from  the  rest  of  his  people  in  the  church,  then 
the  name  clerici,  or  clergy,  was  their  appropriate  title,  and 
the  name  of  the  other,  laymen.  And  this  observation  will  help 
to  set  another  sort  of  persons  right,  who  confound  not  only 
the  names,  but  the  offices  of  laity  and  clergy  together;  and 
plead  that  originally  there  was  no  distinction  between  them. 
The  name  of  priesthood  indeed  is  sometimes  given  in  common 
to  the  whole  body  of  Christian  people  (1  Peter  2:9;  Revela- 
tion 1:6),  but  so  it  was  to  the  Jewish  people  (Exodus  19:  6)  : 
'Ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests,  and  an  holy  nation'; 
yet  everyone  knows  that  the  offices  of  priests  and  Levites 
among  the  Jews  were  very  distinct  from  those  of  the  com- 
mon people,  not  by  usurpation,  but  by  God's  appointment. 
And  so  it  was  among  the  Christians,  from  the  first  founda- 
tion of  the  church." — Ant.  Chris.  Church,  vol.  1,  p.  13.  Edi- 
tion of  1875,  book  1,  chap.  5. 

Again:  "Tertullian  says  it  was  customary  among  heretics 
to  confound  the  offices  of  the  clergy  and  laity  together." — Ibid., 
p.  14. 

Again:     "Saint  Jerome  observes,  'They   (the  early  Chris- 


212  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

tians)  reckoned  that  to  be  no  church  which  had  no  priests" 
—Ibid.,  p.  14. 

Again:  "Saint  Jerome,  who  will  be  allowed  to  speak  the 
sense  of  the  ancients,  .  .  .  says,  that  both  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  the  high  priests  are  an  order,  the  priests  another, 
and  the  Levites  another." — Ibid.,  p.  17,  book  2,  chap.  1. 

Again:  "These  allegations'  are  sufficient  evidences  as  to 
matter  of  fact,  and  the  practice  of  the  church  in  the  first  three 
ages,  that  there  was  then  an  order  of  chief  priests,  or  bishops, 
superior  to  the  presbyters,  settled  and  allowed  in  the  Christian 
church."— Ibid.,  p.  18. 

Eusebius,  on  priesthood  in  the  primitive  Christian  church, 
says:  "Polycrates,  (who  was  bishop)  of  the  Church  of 
Ephesus,  says:  'John  who  rested  upon  the  bosom  of  our 
Lord,  who  also  was  a  priest  and  bore  the  sacerdotal  (priestly) 
plate.'  "—Pages  194-196. 

Of  Origen  he  says:  "He  had  not  yet  obtained  the  priest- 
hood by  the  laying  on  of  hands." — Page  226. 

"At  this  time,  Origen,  being  compelled  by  some  necessary 
affairs  of  the  church,  went  to  Greece  by  way  of  Palestine, 
where  he  received  the  ordination  to  the  priesthood  at  Cesa- 
rea,  from  the  bishops  of  that  country." — Ibid.,  p.  229. 

High  priest:  "Melchisedec  .  .  .  was  not  the  solitary  occu- 
pant of  that  dignity,  but  one  in  succession." — Marvelous  Dis- 
coveries in  Bible  Lands,  p.  40. 

"John  the  Baptist  was  of  the  priestly  race  by  both  parents. 
.  .  .  John  was  ordained  to  be  a  Nazarite  from  his  birth." — 
Smith  Dictionary,  p.  422. 

"Officers  there  must  be  while  there  are  offices,  or  services 
to  be  performed.  ...  So  long  also  as  the  Christian  body  is  an 
organized  body  having  many  services  to  perform,  it  must  have 
organs  or  officers  by  which  to  enjoy  itself  and  operate  on 
society." — Christian  System,  p.  78,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  edition; 
Saint  Louis  edition,  p.  83. 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK          213 

PROPHETS  AND  MIRACLES. 

"Justin  Martyr,"  says  Mr.  Wesley,  "who  wrote  about  fifty 
years  after  apostles,  says:  'There  are  prophetic  gifts  among 
us  until  now.'  You  may  see  with  us  both  women  and  men 
having  gifts  from  the  Spirit  of  God.  He  particularly  insists 
on  that  of  casting  out  devils,  as  whatever  one  might  see 
with  his  own  eyes.  Ireanaeus  who  wrote  somewhat  later, 
affirms:  'that  all  who  were  truly  disciples  of  Jesus  wrought 
miracles  in  his  name;  some  cast  out  devils;  others  had  visions 
of  the  knowledge  of  future  events.'  " 

Church  History,  page  143,  says:  "Though  the  miraculous 
dispensations  attendant  on  Christianity  form  no  part  of  the 
plan  of  this  history,  I  can  not  but  observe  on  this  occasion, 
how  stiongly  their  continuance  in  the  third  century  is  here 
attested.  Pinions  affirms  that  devils  were  first  ejected  by 
Christians  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and  he  does  this  in  the  face 
of  enemies,  who  would  have  been  glad  of  the  shadow  of  an 
argument  to  justify  their  bitterness,  resentment  and  perfidy." 

American  Baptist,  January  6,  1892:  "The  Hebrew  root 
which  is  translated  prophet  in  our  Bible,  signifies  the  act  of 
pouring  forth  or  uttering  and  is  applied  to  one  who  speaks  for 
God,  not  only  in  his  name  and  by  his  authority,  but  under 
his  influence  and  by  divine  inspiration.  A  prophet,  therefore, 
was  one  who  spake  for  God,  foretelling  future  events,  de- 
claring God's  will  or  expounding  what  had  already  been 
revealed." 

American  Baptist,  of  January  14,  1892,  says,  quoting  from 
Doctor  Schaff:  "In  the  second  and  third  centuries  .  .  .  the 
apostles,  prophets  and  evangelists  disappeared."  Then  they 
were  continued  longer  than  John  the  Revelator.  Why  did  they 
not  last  longer  than  the  second  and  third  centuries?  Let 
Mosheim  and  Milner  answer. 

John  Wesley  says:  "For  the  spirits  of  the  prophets  are 
subject  to  the  prophets — but  what  enthusiast  considers  this? 
The  impulses  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  even  in  men  really  inspired, 
so  suit  themselves  to  their  rational  faculties,  as  not  to  divest 
them  of  the  government  of  themselves,  like  the  heathen  priests 


214  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

under  their  diabolical  possessions.  Evil  spirits  threw  their 
prophets  into  such  ungovernable  ecstacies,  as  forced  them  to 
speak  and  act  like  madmen.  But  the  Spirit  of  God  left  his 
prophets  the  clear  use  of  their  judgment,  when  and  how  long 
it  was  fit  for  them  to  speak,  and  never  hurried  them  into  any 
improprieties,  either  as  to  the  matter,  manner,  or  time  of 
speaking." — Notes  on  1  Corinthians  14:  39;  p.  440. 

DEGREES  OF  INSPIRATION. 

Doctor  Buck  says,  that  inspiration  is  "the  conveying  of  cer- 
tain extraordinary  and  supernatural  notions  or  motives  into 
the  soul,  or  it  denotes  any  supernatural  influence  of  God  upon 
the  mind  of  a  rational  creature,  whereby  he  is  formed  to  any 
degree  of  intellectual  improvement,  to  which  he  could  not  or 
would  not,  in  fact  have  attained  in  his  present  circumstances 
in  a  natural  way.  And  thus  the  prophets  are  said  to  have 
spoken  by  divine  inspiration. 

"1.  An  inspiration  of  superintendency,  in  which  God  does  so 
influence  and  direct  the  mind  of  any  person,  as  to  keep  him 
more  secure  from  error  in  some  various  and  complex  dis- 
course, than  he  would  have  been  merely  by  the  use  of  his 
natural  faculties. 

"2.  Plenary  superintendency  inspiration,  which  excludes  any 
mixture  of  error  at  all  from  the  performance  so  superintended. 

"3.  Inspiration  of  elevation,  where  the  faculties  act  in  a 
regular,  and,  as  it  seems,  a  common  manner,  yet  are  raised 
to  an  extraordinary  degree,  so  that  composure  shall,  upon 
the  whole,  have  more  of  the  true  sublime,  or  pathetic,  than 
natural  genius  could  have  given. 

4.  Inspiration  of  suggestion,  where  the  use  of  the  faculties 
is  superseded,  and  God  does,  as  it  were,  speak  directly  to  the 
mind,  making  such  discoveries  to  it  as  it  could  not  otherwise 
have  obtained,  and  dictating  the  very  words  in  which  such 
discoveries  are  to  be  communicated,  if  they  are  designed  as  a 
message  to  others." — Page  196. 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  215 

URIM  AND  THUMMIM. 

Smith,  in  his  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  says:  "In  what  way 
the  Urim  and  Thummim  were  consulted  is  quite  uncertain. 
Josephus  and  the  Rabbins  supposed  that  the  stones  gave  out 
the  oracular  answer  by  prenatural  illumination.  But  it  seems 
to  be  far  simpler,  and  more  in  agreement  with  the  different 
account  of  inquiries  made  by  Urim  and  Thummim  (1  Samuel 
14:  3,  18,  19;  2:  4,  9,  11,  12;  28:  6;  Judges  20:  28;  2  Samuel 
5:  23,  etc.),  to  suppose  that  the  answer  was  given  simply  by 
the  word  of  the  Lord  to  the  high  priest  (compare  John  11:  51) , 
when  he  had  inquired  of  the  Lord,  clothed  with  the  Ephod  and 
Breastplate." — Page  723. 

Comment  by  Whitson  on  Josephus,  says:  "The  answers 
by  the  oracle  of  Urim  and  Thummim,  which  words  signify 
light  and  perfection,  or  as  the  Septuagint  renders  them,  reve- 
lations and  truth,  and  denote  nothing  further  that  I  see  but 
the  shining  stones  themselves  which  were  used,  in  this  method 
of  illumination,  in  revealing  the  will  of  God,  after  a  perfect 
and  true  manner  to  his  people  Israel." — Antiquities  of  the 
Jews,  p.  94,  book  3,  chap.  8. 

Josephus  says  of  this  stone:  "Now  this  breastplate  and 
this  sardonyx  left  off  shining  two  hundred  years  before  I 
composed  this  book." — Ibid.,  p.  95. 

David  Whitmer  says:  "But  a  stone  had  been  found  with 
the  plates  [of  the  Book  of  Mormon]  shaped  like  a  pair  of 
ordinary  spectacles,  though  much  larger,  and  at  least  half  an 
inch  in  thickness,  and  perfectly  opaque  (not  transparent) 
save  to  the  prophetic  vision  of  Joseph  Smith." — Chicago 
Times,  August,  1875. 

"There  were  two  stones  in  silver  bows,  and  these  stones 
fastened  to  a  breastplate  constituted  what  is  called  the  Urim 
and  Thummim." — History  of  the  Church,  vol.  1,  p.  13. 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  NEW  TESTAMENT 

TIMES. 

Milner's  Church  History,  page  145:  "Towards  the  end  of 
the  first  century,  all  the  churches  followed  the  model  of  the 
mother  church  at  Jerusalem,  where  one  of  the  apostles  was 


216  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

the  first  bishop.  A  settled  presidency  obtained,  and  the  name 
of  angel  was  first  given  to  the  supreme  ruler,  though  that  of 
bishop  soon  succeeded.  That  this  was  the  case  in  seven 
churches  of  Asia  is  certain.  The  address  of  the  charges  to 
him  in  the  book  of  Revelation  demonstrate  his  superiority. 
The  deacon  it  is  well  known,  was  chosen  to  administer  in 
sacred  employments  of  an  inferior  kind.  These  three  ranks 
appear  to  have  been  general  throughout  the  Christian  world 
in  the  former  part  of  this  century." — Page  250. 

PETER'S  SUPREMACY. 

As  seen  through  Catholic  specks:  "Peter,  it  is  true,  besides 
the  -prerogatives  inherent  in  his  office,  (president  or  pope,) 
possessed  also  the  gift  of  inspiration  and  the  power  of  work- 
ing miracles.  .  .  .  These  two  latter  gifts  are  not  claimed  by 
the  pope,  as  they  were  personal  to  Peter  and  by  no  means 
essential  to  the  government  of  the  church." — Faith  of  Our 
Fathers,  pp.  132,  133. 

Mosheim  says:  "It  became  necessary,  that  the  council  of 
presbyters  should  have  a  president,  a  man  of  distinguished 
gravity  and  prudence,  who  should  distribute  among  his  col- 
leagues their  several  tasks,  and  be  as  it  were  the  central  point 
of  the  whole  society.  He  was,  at  first,  denominated  the  angel 
(Apocalypse  2  and  3:  13)  ;  but  afterward  the  bishop;  a  title 
of  Grecian  derivation,  and  indicative  of  his  principal  busi- 
ness. It  would  seem  that  the  church  of  Jerusalem  when  grown 
very  numerous,  after  the  dispersion  of  the  apostles  among 
foreign  nations,  was  the  first  to  elect  such  a  president;  and 
that  other  churches,  in  process  of  time,  followed  the  example." 
—Vol.  1,  cent.  1,  part  2,  chap.  2,  par.  11,  p.  71.  Published 
1841. 

"James  the  president  and  head  of  the  church.  Here  we  find 
James  superior  to  the  very  chief est  apostles.  For  by  this  time 
he  had  been  appointed  to  preside  over  the  infant  church,  in  its 
most  important  center."— Dr.  William  Smith,  Dictionary  of 
the  Bible,  p.  270. 

"We  find  there  were  there  in  the  church  of  Jerusalem  offi- 
cials named — presbyters,  who  were  the  assistants  of  James, 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  217 

the  chief  administrator  of  the  church.  James,  the  brother  of 
the  Lord,  remained  unmolested  during  the  persecution  of 
Herod  Agrippa,  in  the  year  44,  and  from  this  time  he  is 
the  acknowledged  head  of  the  church  of  Jerusalem." — Ibid., 
p.  112. 

Mosheim  says:  "The  bishops  were  at  first  innocently  called 
high  priests." — Vol.  1,  cent.  2,  part  2,  chap.  4,  par.  4,  p.  133. 

HIGH   PRIESTS. 

"The  high  priest  was  at  the  head  of  all  religious  affairs,  .  .  . 
The  high  priest  wore  nearly  the  same  dress  with  the  priests, 
and  four  articles  in  addition."-5 — Bible  Dictionary,  p.  353. 

Josephus  says:  "I  think  it  necessary  to  set  down  the  names 
of  the  high  priests." — Antiquities  of  the  Jews,  book  10,  chap. 
9,  par.  6,  p.  280. 

"Ananus,  the  ancientest  of  the  high  priests." — Ibid.,  "Wars 
of  the  Jews,"  book  4,  chap.  3,  par.  7,  p.  682. 

"This  Matthias  was  the  son  of  Boethus,  and  was  one  of 
the  high  priests." — Ibid.,  book  5,  chap.  13,  par.  1,  p.  735. 

"Some  also  there  were  who,  watching  for  a  proper  oppor- 
tunity when  they  might  quietly  get  away,  fled  to  the  Romans, 
of  whom  were  the  high  priests  Joseph  and  Jesus." — Ibid.,  book 
6,  chap.  2,  par.  2,  p.  744. 

Fleetwood's  Life  of  Christ:  "The  office  of  high  priest  was 
bestowed  upon  Aaron,  the  brother  of  Moses,  and  his  descend- 
ants in  perpetuity.  .  .  .  The  high  priest  was  the  means  of 
communication  between  God  and  the  people;  he  alone  could 
enter  the  recess  of  the  sanctuary." — History  of  the  Jews,  p. 
725. 

"Melchisedec,  king  of  Salem  and  priest  of  the  most  high 
God,  who  is  taken  as  a  type  of  Christ  in  his  united  kingly 
and  priestly  offices,  was  not  the  solitary  occupant  of  that 
dignity,  but  one  in  a  succession  of  priest-kings." — Marvelous 
Discoveries  in  Bible  Lands,  p.  41. 

"The  number  of  high  priests  from  Aaron  to  Phannias,  was 
according  to  Josephus,  .  .  .  eighty-three;  .  .  .  The  last  high 
priest  Phannias,  .  .  .  With  him  the  Old  Testament,  high  priest- 


218  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

hood  ignominiously  ended." — Schaff's  Religious  Encyclopaedia, 
vol.  E  to  L,  p.  991. 

PATRIARCH. 

Mosheim  says:  "The  custom  of  holding  these  councils  had 
extended  over  the  Christian  world,  and  the  universal  church 
had  acquired  the  form  of  a  vast  republic  composed  of  many 
lesser  ones,  certain  head  men  were  to  be  placed  over  it 
in  different  parts  of  the  world,  as  central  points  in  their 
respective  countries.  Hence  came  the  patriarchs;  and  ulti- 
mately a  prince  of  patriarchs." — Vol.  1,  book  1,  cent.  2,  part 
2,  chap.  2,  p.  117.  Edition  of  1841. 

"The  princes  among  the  bishops,  were  those  who  had  before 
held  a  preeminent  rank,  namely,  the  bishops  of  Rome,  Antioch, 
and  Alexandria;  with  whom  the  bishop  of  Constantinople  was 
joined,  after  the  imperial  residence  was  transferred  to  that 
city.  These  four  prelates  answered  to  the  four  praetorian 
prefects  created  by  Constantine,  and  perhaps  even  in  this 
century  bore  the  Jewish  title  of  patriarchs." — Ibid.,  cent.  4, 
p.  232. 

"In  this  manner  there  were  five  principal  bishops  over  the 
Christian  world,  created  in  this  century,  and  distinguished 
from  others  by  the  title  of  patriarchs." — Ibid.,  cent.  5,  p.  324. 

J.  H.  Merle  D'Aubigne  says:  "In  later  times  they  bore 
the  more  ecclesiastical  name  of  patriarch." — Published  1843, 
p.  3. 

Webster's  Unabridged  Dictionary:  "Patriarch,  father  and 
ruler  of  a  family;  one  who  governs  by  paternal  right,  .  .  .  usu- 
ally applied  to  the  progenitors  of  the  Israelites,  Abraham, 
Isaac,  Jacob,  and  the  sons  of  Jacob,  or  to  the  heads  of  families 
before  the  flood;  as,  the  antediluvian  Patriarchs.  Second — A 
learned  and  distinguished  character  among  the  Jews." 

Encyclopedia  Britannica,  9th  edition:  "Patriarch  (lit.,  the 
head  or  ruler  of  a  tribe,  family,  or  clan),  occurs  four  times 
in  the  New  Testament,  being  applied  to  Abraham,  the  twelve 
sons  of  Jacob  collectively,  and  David,  and  several  times  in  the 
70,  where  the  word  is  used  to  denote  the  officials  called  by 
the  chronicler  'prince  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,'  'princes  of 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  219 

hundreds/  'chiefs  of  the  fathers.'  .  .  .  The  title  at  an  early 
date  passed  over  into  the  Christian  church." — Vol.  18,  p.  410. 

Mr.  A.  Campbell  says:  "Family  worship  was,  therefore, 
the  first  religious  institution.  At  the  head  of  this  institution 
naturally  stood  the  father  of  every  family.  .  .  .  Hence  the  first 
religious  and  political  institution  is  properly  called  'the  patri- 
archal.' .  .  .  And  thus  we  find  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  Job,  and 
other  patriarchs.  .  .  .  To  him  the  patriarch  Abraham  paid 
tithes  or  gave  the  tenth  of  the  spoils.  .  .  .  Melchisedec  blessed 
Abraham,  Isaac  blessed  Jacob,  and  Jacob  blessed  the  twelve 
patriarchs." — Christian  System,  pp.  137,  140-141.  Published 
at  Saint  Louis,  Missouri. 

Campbellites,  who  believe  in  the  Bible  and  nothing  but'the 
Bible,  through  the  Christian  Evangelist  for  December  6,  1900, 
by  one  of  their  leading  ministers,  make  this  statement  touch- 
ing Alexander  Campbell,  their  leader:  "Venerable  patriarch 
of  the  clean  heart  and  the  silver  tongue!  Faithful  servant 
of  God,  and  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ." 

A.  S.  Hayden:  "Here  I  should  speak  more  particularly  of 
Father  Ryder's  relations  to  the  church.  .  .  .  He  was  first  the 
eldest  brother,  then  the  father,  finally  the  patriarch." — History 
of  the  Disciples,  p.  253. 

Fleetwood:  "The  western  Jews,  who  were  scattered  all 
over  the  Roman  Empire,  had  their  spiritual  head  in  the 
patriarch." — History  of  the  Jews,  p.  738. 

"During  this  period  of  peace,  Rabbi  Jehuda,  one  of  the 
patriarchs  of  Tiberias." — Ibid. 

ANOINTING    WITH    OIL. 

Rev.  John  Wesley  said:  "Having  anointed  him  with  oil — 
this  single,  conspicuous  gift,  which  Christ  committed  to  his 
apostles,  Mark  6:  13,  remained  in  the  church  long  after  the 
other  miraculous  gifts  were  withdrawn.  Indeed  it  seems  to 
have  been  designed  to  remain  always,  and  Saint  James 
directs  the  elders,  who  were  the  most,  if  not  the  only  gifted 
men  to  administer  it.  This  was  the  whole  process  of  physic 
in  the  Christian  church,  till  it  was  lost  through  unbelief." — 
Notes  on  Saint  James  5:  14,  p.  606. 


220  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

"The  Grecian  Christian,  when  dangerously  sick,  sent  for 
the  elders  of  the  church,  agreeably  to  James  5:  14,  and  after 
the  sick  man  had  confessed  his  sins,  the  elders  commended 
him  to  God  in  devout  supplication,  and  anointed  him  with  oil." 
— Mosheim,  book  1,  cent.  1,  part  2,  chap.  4,  p.  87. 

INSPIRATION   OF  THE  BIBLE. 

The  necessity  for  the  Inspired  Translation  of  the  Bible  is 
made  apparent  from  the  following: 

In  the  Baptist-Catholic  debate  in  the  American  Baptist,  12th 
negative,  Doctor  Ray  says:  "The  collection  of  books  called 
the  Bible  by  Catholics  and  Protestants  is  of  course  the  same 
book,  but  in  the  hands  of  Roman  Catholics,  its  text  has  become 
corrupted  and  perverted."  Here's  Baptist  authority,  will  that 
do?  There  are  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  translations. 

"Saint  Jerome,  in  his  commentary  upon  the  40th  chapter 
of  Ezekiel,  says:  'When  we  translate  the  Hebrew  words  into 
Latin,  we  are  sometimes  guided  by  conjecture.'  " 

Again  he  says:  "Saint  Jerome  makes  frequent  mention  of 
the  additions,  corrections  and  subtractions  made  in  the  ver- 
sions of  the  Septuagint,  by  Origen." 

He  continues:  "Saint  Jerome  says  with  reason,  that  in 
his  time  the  version  of  the  Septuagint  was  nowhere  to  be 
found  in  its  purity.  It  is  mere  assumption  to  assert,  as  some 
authors  do,  that  the  Hebrew  text  which  we  have  at  present 
is  not  corrupted  in  any  place,  and  that  there  is  no  fault,  nor 
anything  left  out,  and  that  we  must  indisputably  follow  it 
at  all  times." 

This  Complete  History  of  Canon,  etc.,  says:  "There  are 
differences  in  punctuation  about  the  consonant  and  whole 
words  and  verses,  which  shows  that,  let  them  be  ever  so  dili- 
gent, it  is  impossible  but  some  faults  will  slip  in,  either  in 
the  copying  or  printing  of  a  work.  .  .  .  Nor  can  it  be  said  for 
certain  that  all  these  books  which  are  cited  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures  were  of  divine  inspiration.  ...  It  can  not  be  said 
that  no  fault  has  crept  into  the  scriptures  by  the  negligence 
or  inadvertency  of  the  transcribers,  or  even  by  the  boldness 
of  those  who  have  ventured  to  strike  out,  add.  or  change  some 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  221 

words  which  they  thought  necessary  to  be  admitted,  added 
or  changed.  This  is  the  common  fate  of  all  books,  from  which 
God  has  not  seen  fit  to  exempt  even  the  sacred  writings." 
Change  to  suit  their  doctrine.  If  they  didn't  believe  in  "bap- 
tism for  the  remission  of  sins"  and  they  found  such  in  the 
text,  out  it  would  go  with  "boldness." 

Dupin:  "The  critics  have  sometimes  reformed  the  text, 
because  they  looked  upon  it  as  faulty;  they  have  met  with 
a  sense  that  shocked  them  in  the  text,  and  which  might  be 
reformed  by  taking  away  one  single  word;  they  have  deter- 
mined that  the  text  ought  to  read  so  and  so,  and  have  boldly 
corrected  the  text  upon  a  mere  conjecture." — Complete  History 
of  the  Canon. 

March's  Introduction,  volume  2,  page  846,  and  Penn's  An- 
notatioris  says,  in  reference  to  our  King  James'  translation: 
"The  common  version  of  the  Bible  was  printed  in  A.  D.  1611. 
The  only  printed  editions  of  the  Greek  Testament  at  that  time 
were  Cardinal  Ximime's,  printed  A.  D.  1514;  Erasmus',  in 
1546,  and  Beza's,  in  1562,  with  some  editions  taken  from  these; 
substantially  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  Old  Testament. 
King  James'  translation  was  made  from  no  uniform  edition 
whatever.  Although  there  is,  by  authority,  a  standard  English 
edition  of  the  Bible,  there  is  no  standard  Hebrew  or  Greek 
text  manuscript  for  the  original  of  that  version." 

The  Companion  of  the  Revised  Version  of  the  English  New 
Testament,  by  Alexander  Roberts,  D.  D.,  one  of  the  committee 
who  revised  "our  latest  or  national  translations,"  pages  39, 
40,  41,  says:  "Such  is  the  parentage  of  the  Authorized  Ver- 
sion— Beza,  Stephens,  Erasmus.  What  manuscript  authority, 
let  us  ask,  is  thus  represented?  .  .  .  Erasmus,  indeed,  said  his 
was  rather  'tumbled  headlong  into  the  world  than  edited.'  " 

Again,  Roberts  says,  speaking  of  Erasmus:  "For  the 
Apocalypse,  he  had  only  one  mutilated  manuscript.  He  had 
thus,  no  documentary  materials  for  publishing  a  complete 
edition  of  the  Greek  Testament.  The  consequence  would  have 
been  that  some  verses  must  have  been  left  wanting  had  not 
Erasmus  taken  the  vulgate  and  conjecturally  retranslated 
the  Latin  into  Greek.  Hence  has  arisen  the  remarkable  fact 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

that  in  the  text  from  which  our  Authorized  Version  was 
formed,  and  in  the  ordinary  uncritical  editions  of  the  Greek 
current  at  the  present  day,  there  were,  and  are,  words  in  the 
professed  originals,  for  which  no  divine  authority  can  be 
pleaded,  but  which  are  entirely  due  to  the  learning  and  imag- 
ination of  Erasmus." 

In  volume  1,  page  90,  of  Home's  Introduction,  you  will  find 
this  principle  laid  down.  Home  explicitly  declares,  that 
when  the  Holy  Spirit  spoke  through  Paul,  Jesus,  Peter,  etc., 
it  came  not  in  classic  Greek,  but  in  the  vernacular  of  the 
times.  See  also  volume  2,  pages  22,  23. 

Home  in  his  Introduction,  on  "the  critical  study  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  Holy  Scriptures,"  says:  "Inspiration  in  the 
highest  sense,  is  the  immediate  communication  of  knowledge 
to  the  human  mind  by  the  Spirit  of  God;  but,  as  we  have 
already  observed,  it  is  commonly  used  by  divines,  in  a  less 
strict  and  proper  sense,  to  denote  such  a  degree  of  divine 
influence,  assistance,  or  guidance,  as  enabled  the  authors  of 
the  Scriptures  to  communicate  religious  knowledge  to  others, 
without  error  or  mistake,  whether  the  subjects  of  such  com- 
munication were  things  then  immediately  revealed  to  those 
who  declared  them,  or  things  with  which  they  were  before 
acquainted. 

"When  it  is  said  that  Scripture  is  divinely  inspired,  we  are 
not  to  understand  that  God  suggested  every  word,  or  dictated 
every  expression.  From  the  different  styles  in  which  the 
books  are  written,  and  from  the  different  manner  in  which 
the  same  events  are  related  and  predicted  by  different  authors, 
it  appears  that  the  sacred  penmen  were  permitted  to  write  as 
their  several  tempers,  understandings,  and  habits  of  life, 
directed:  and  that  the  knowledge  communicated  to  them  by 
inspiration  on  the  subject  of  their  writings,  was  applied  in 
the  same  manner  as  any  knowledge  acquired  by  ordinary 
means.  Nor  is  it  to  be  supposed  that  they  were  even  thus 
inspired  in  every  fact  which  they  related,  or  in  every  precept 
which  they  delivered.  They  were  left  to  the  common  use  of 
their  faculties,  and  did  not,  upon  every  occasion,  stand  in  need 
of  supernatural  communication;  but  whenever,  and  as  far 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  223 

as  divine  assistance  was  necessary,  it  was  always  afforded. 
In  different  parts  of  Scripture  we  perceive,  that  there  were 
different  sorts  and  degrees  of  inspiration.  God  enabled  Moses 
to  give  an  account  of  the  creation  of  the  world;  Joshua  to 
record  with  exactness  the  settlement  of  the  Israelites  in  the 
land  of  Canaan;  David  to  mingle  prophetic  information  with 
the  varied  effusions  of  gratitude,  contrition  and  piety;  Solo- 
mon to  deliver  wise  instructions  for  the  regulation  of  human 
life;  Isaiah  to  deliver  predictions  concerning  the  future 
Savior  of  mankind;  and  Ezra  to  collect  the  sacred  Scriptures 
into  one  authentic  volume;  'But  all  these  worketh  that  one 
and  the  selfsame  spirit,  dividing  to  every  man  severally  as 
he  will'  (1  Corinthians  12:  11).  In  some  cases,  inspiration 
only  produced  occurrences  and  accuracy  in  relating  past  cor- 
rectness, or  in  reciting  the  words  of  others;  in  other  cases, 
it  communicated  ideas  not  only  new  and  unknown  before, 
but  infinitely  beyond  the  reach  of  unassisted  human  intellect." 
— Biblia  for  June,  1890. 

The  New  Testament  was  written  in  Greek,  which  had,  since 
the  Macedonian  conquest  of  Alexander  the  Great,  supplanted 
Hebrew  in  common  use  among  the  Jews  who  dwelt  in  the 
Roman  provinces,  and  was  the  medium  of  communication  be- 
tween all  parts  of  the  civilized  world. 

The  Greek  of  the  New  Testament  differs  in  many  respects 
from  the  language  as  it  was  written  by  Herodotus  or  Thucy- 
dides.  The  Greek  language  was  the  one  most  widely  spread 
over  the  civilized  world.  When  our  Lord  appeared  in  the 
flesh,  the  Greek  tongue  was  current  in  Palestine,  and  was  the 
book  language  of  the  Egyptian  Jews.  Hence  the  apostles 
were  under  the  necessity  of  using  it  in  their  preaching  and 
writing,  when  they  went  forth  from  Palestine  to  promulgate 
that  new  religion  with  whose  propagation  they  were  interested. 

The  classical  Greek,  spreading  over  the  Asiatic  kingdoms 
which  arose  from  the  Macedonian  conquest,  and  accordingly 
over  Syria,  naturally  became  somewhat  modified  by  the  local 
and  dialectical  peculiarities  in  which  it  was  spoken.  The  Greek 
compound  varying  in  some  respects  in  the  various  provinces 
in  Asia  and  Africa  subjected  to  the  Macedonian  rule,  consti- 


224  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

tutes  the  special  foundation  of  the  diction  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, as  it  does  also  of  the  Septuagint  and  Apocrypha. 

The  diction  of  the  New  Testament  partakes  of  a  Hebrew 
coloring,  arising  from  the  fact  that  the  writers  were  Hebrews 
accustomed  to  speak  the  Aramaean  or  later  Hebrew,  and  in 
some  instances  acquainted  with  the  ancient  language  of  the 
Scriptures.  Lexical  Hebraisms  are  more  numerous  than  gram- 
matical, and  consist  partly  in  the  extension  of  the  signification 
of  words,  partly  in  the  imitation  of  entire  phrases,  and  partly 
also  in  the  analogous  formation  of  new  words  to  express 
corresponding  Hebrew  terms.  The  language  of  the  several 
books  of  the  New  Testament,  however,  vary  according  as  every 
individual  writer  has  his  peculiar  modes  of  expression. 
In  particular  the  historical  books  differ  from  the  epistolary 
inconsequence  of  their  differing  aim  and  contents;  inasmuch 
as  the  historic,  especially  the  gospels  of  Matthew,  Mark  and 
John,  approximate  more  to  the  language  of  the  people;  the 
epistles,  on  the  other  hand,  particularly  those  written  by  Paul 
to  Greek  speaking  churches  and  persons  in  Europe  and  Asia, 
are  connected,  as  respects  language  with  the  literary  Greek 
then  in  use,  with  certain  modifications,  such  as  some  adoption 
or  imitation  of  Semitic  idioms  or  at  least  a  choice  of  such 
Greek  idioms  as  resembled  the  Semitic  most;  while  the  writ- 
ings of  Luke,  especially  the  Acts,  are  full  of  genuine  Greek 
turns  and  constructions,  although  instances  of  the  opposite 
are  not  wanting  in  them.  The  language  of  the  Apocalypse 
is  distinguished  from  all  the  rest  by  great  and  sometimes  very 
anomalous  peculiarities  in  word  and  structure. 

One  great  characteristic  of  the  New  Testament  Greek  is 
that  it  is  an  eminently  translatable  language.  There  is  very 
little  grammar  compared  with  other  Greek.  But  it  is  very 
interesting  to  note  the  conciseness,  the  exactitude  with  which 
the  most  subtle  shades  and  gradations  of  thought  are  ex- 
pressed in  this  rich  and  flexible  language.  And  the  more  the 
language  is  investigated,  the  more  apparent  becomes  the  wis- 
dom of  God  in  having  selected  so  clear  and  so  admirable  a 
medium  for  making  known  to  man  the  new  covenant  in 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  225 

Christ  Jesus.  The  language  is  at  once  vigorous  and  flexible, 
profound  and  clear,  remarkably  well  suited  to  express  every 
variety  of  thought.  It  is  equally  adapted  to  the  concise,  the 
critical  and  the  commonplace.  In  short,  every  order  of  mind 
can  use  it  appropriately. 

Smith,  article  "gospels,"  in  these  words:  "It  is  probable 
that  none  of  the  gospels  was  written  until  many  years  after 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  on  which  the  Holy  Spirit  descended  on 
the  assembled  disciples.  From  that  day  commenced  at  Jeru- 
salem the  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  and  converting  the 
world.  Prayer  and  preaching  were  the  business  of  the 
apostles'  lives.  Now,  their  preaching  must  have  been,  from 
the  nature  of  the  case,  in  great  part  historical;  it  must  have 
been  based  upon  an  account  of  the  life  and  acts  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.  There  was  no  written  record  to  which  the  hearers 
might  be  referred  for  historical  details,  and  therefore  the 
preachers  must  furnish  not  only  inferences  from  the  life  of 
our  Lord,  but  the  facts  of  the  life  itself.  The  preaching  then, 
must  have  been  of  such  a  kind  as  to  be  to  the  hearers  what 
the  reading  of  lessons  from  the  gospel  is  to  us.  There  is  no 
impossibility  in  supposing  that  in  the  course  of  twenty  or 
thirty  years'  assiduous  teaching  without  a  written  gospel,  the 
matter  of  the  apostolic  preaching  should  have  taken  a  settled 
form.  Not  only  might  the  apostles  think  it  well  that  their 
own  accounts  should  agree,  as  in  substance  so  in  form;  but 
the  teachers  whom  they  sent  forth  or  left  behind  in  the 
churches  they  visited,  would  have  to  be  prepared  for  their 
mission;  and  so  long  as  there  was  no  written  gospel  to  put 
into  their  hands,  it  might  be  desirable  that  the  oral  instruction 
should  be  so  far  as  possible  one  and  the  same  to  all.  The 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  supplied  for  a  time  such  aid  as 
made  a  written  gospel  unnecessary;  but  the  apostles  saw  the 
dangers  and  errors  which  a  traditional  gospel  would  be  ex- 
posed to  in  the  course  of  time,  and  whilst  they  were  still 
preaching  the  oral  gospel  in  the  strength  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
they  were  admonished  by  the  same  divine  Person  to  prepare 
those  written  records  which  were  hereafter  to  be  the  daily 


226  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

spiritual  food  of  all  the  church  of  Christ.  Nor  is  there  any- 
thing unnatural  in  the  supposition  that  the  apostles  uninten- 
tionally uttered  their  witness  in  the  same  order,  and  even,  for 
the  most  part,  in  the  same  form  of  words.  The  language  of 
their  first  preaching  was  the  Syro-Chaldaic,  which  was  a  poor 
and  scanty  language  and  though  Greek  was  now  widely  spread, 
and  was  the  language  even  of  several  places  in  Palestine, 
though  it  prevailed  in  Antioch,  whence  the  first  missions  to 
Greeks  and  Hellenists,  or  Jews  who  spoke  Greek,  proceeded 
(Acts  Hi  20;  13:  1-3),  the  Greek  tongue,  as  used  by  Jews 
partook  of  the  poverty  of  the  speech  which  it  replaced;  as, 
indeed  it  is  impossible  to  borrow  a  whole  language  without 
borrowing  the  habits  of  thought  upon  which  it  has  built 
itself."— Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  pp.  298,  299. 

Prof.  C.  E.  Stowe,  in  his  History  of  the  Bible,  has  this  to 
say  on  the  point:  "The  Bible  is  not  a  specimen  of  God's  skill 
as  a  writer,  showing  us  God's  mode  of  thought,  giving  us 
God's  logic,  and  God's  rhetoric,  and  God's  style  of  historic 
narration.  How  often  do  we  see  men  seeking  out  isolated 
passages  of  Scripture,  and  triumphantly  saying  that  such  ex- 
pressions are  unworthy  of  God,  and  could  not  have  proceeded 
from  him.  They  are  unskillful,  the  mode  of  thought  is  faulty, 
they  are  illogical,  in  bad  taste,  the  reasoning  is  not  conclusive, 
the  narrative  is  liable  to  exception.  God  has  not  put  himself 
on  trial  before  us  in  that  way  in  the  Bible,  any  more  than 
he  has  in  the  creation — any  more  than  he  has  promised  that 
the  Bible  shall  always  be  printed  for  us  on  the  best  of  paper, 
with  the  best  of  type  and  perfect  freedom  from  typographical 
errors,  and  that  after  it  is  printed,  it  shall  never  be  torn, 
nor  soiled,  nor  any  leaf  lost;  or  that  apostles  and  preachers 
shall  be  regularly  handsome,  men  of  fine  forms  and  beautiful 
faces,  and  faultless  elocution.  It  is  always  to  be  remembered 
that  the  writers  of  the  Bible  were  'God's  penmen,  and  not 
God's  pens.'  .  .  . 

"It  is  not  the  words  of  the  Bible  that  were  inspired,  it  is 
not  the  thoughts  of  the  Bible  that  were  inspired;  it  is  the 
men  who  wrote  the  Bible  that  were  inspired.  Inspiration  acts 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  227 

not  on  the  man's  words,  not  on  the  man's  thoughts,  but  on 
the  man  himself;  so  that  he,  by  his  own  spontaneity,  under 
the  impulse  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  conceives  certain  thoughts 
and  gives  utterance  to  them  in  certain  words,  both  the  words 
and  the  thoughts  receiving  the  peculiar  impress  of  the  mind 
which  conceived  and  uttered  them,  and  being  in  fact  just  as 
really  his  own,  as  it  could  have  been  if  there  had  been  no 
inspiration  at  all  in  the  case." — Pages  18,  19. 

W.  T.  Moore  furnishes  a  paper  on  "the  turbulent  period" 
of  their  movement  and  it  is  published  in  the  Reformation  of 
the  Nineteenth  Century.  On  page  220  he  says:  "From  .the 
beginning  of  their  movement  the  Disciples  had  always  taken  a 
deep  interest  in  translations  of  the  New  Testament.  This 
feeling  was  strictly  logical  in  view  of  their  religious  position. 
They  magnified  the  word  of  God  as  no  other  people  did.  It 
was  therefore  all  important  that  they  should  possess,  as  far 
as  possible,  the  exact  mind  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  any  trans- 
lation that  might  be  used.  They  felt  that  the  Authorized  Ver- 
sion, though  incomparable  in  many  respects,  was,  nevertheless, 
in  some  important  particulars,  far  from  what  it  ought  to  be. 
Mr.  Campbell  had  himself  taught  them  to  discredit  King 
James'  Version,  as  he  had  published  a  version  made  by  George 
Campbell,  Philip  Doddridge  arid  others.  Consequently  when  it 
was  proposed  by  the  American  Bible  Union  to  publish  a  re- 
vised edition  of  the  New  Testament,  the  Disciples  at  once 
threw  themselves  into  the  proposal  with  a  heartiness  which 
did  much  to  assure  success;  and  as  Mr.  Campbell  had  been 
selected  to  translate  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  this  fact  gave 
additional  interest  to  what  they  already  felt  in  the  forthcom- 
ing work. 

"The  first  edition  of  this  translation  was  published  in  1864. 
Upon  the  whole  it  was  not  very  favorably  received  by  scholars, 
and  especially  by  those  of  the  brotherhood.  Its  merits  were 
many,  and  these  were  at  once  distinctly  recognized.  But  it 
was  a  disappointment  with  respect  to  some  important  points 
where  better  things  had  been  expected." 


228  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

SPIRIT  AND  BODY— THE  SPIRIT  IMMORTAL. 

MAN  A  DUAL  CREATURE. 

Wilson's  Hebrew  and  Chaldee  Lexicon,  says  of  the  Spirit: 
"The  animal  life,  or  that  principle  by  which  every  animal 
according   to   his   kind   lives;    hence   life,   vital   principle."- 
Quoted  from  Miles  Grant's  work,  p.  7. 

Imperial  Lexicon:  "The  spiritual,  rational,  and  immortal 
substance  in  man,  which  distinguishes  him  from  the  brute." — 
Ibid.,  p.  8. 

Philo  Judeas,  a  learned  Jew  contemporary  with  Claudius 
Caesar,  says:  "When  Moses  uses  the  expression,  he  breathed 
into,  etc.,  he  means  nothing  else  than  the  divine  Spirit,  pro- 
ceeding from  that  happy  and  blessed  nature,  sent  to  take  its 
habitation  here  on  earth,  for  the  advantage  of  our  race,  in 
order  that  even  if  man  is  mortal  according  to  that  portion  of 
him  which  is  visible,  he  may  at  all  events  be  immortal  accord- 
ing to  that  portion  of  him  which  is  invisible;  and  for  this 
reason,  one  may  properly  say  that  man  is  on  the  boundaries 
of  a  better  and  an  immortal  nature,  partaking  of  each  as  far 
as  it  is  necessary  for  him;  and  that  he  was  born  at  the  time, 
both  mortal  and  immortal ;  mortal  as  to  his  body,  but  immortal 
as  to  his  intellect."— Ibid.,  p.  60. 

Josephus  says:  "Moses,  after  the  seventh  day,  began  to 
talk  philosophically  and  concerning  the  formation  of  man  says 
thus,  that  God  took  dust  from  the  ground  and  formed  man, 
and  inserted  in  him  a  spirit  and  a  soul." — Antiquities  of  the 
Jews,  book  1,  chap.  1,  par.  2,  p.  29. 

Again  he  says:  "The  bodies  of  all  men  are  indeed  not  found 
mortal,  are  created  out  of  corruptible  matter;  but  the  soul  is 
immortal,  and  is  a  portion  of  the  divinity  that  inhabits  our 
bodies." — Quoted  from  Miles  Grant's  work,  p.  61. 

Again  he  says:  "When  souls  have  to  leave  the  body,  they 
speak  with  the  sincerest  freedom." — Ant.,  book  4,  chap.  8, 
par.  2.  Translated  by  William  Whiston,  A.  M.,  p.  116. 

Cruden  says:  "Spirit  signifies  the  reasonable  soul  which 
continues  in  being,  even  after  the  death  of  the  body.  That 
spiritual,  reasoning,  choosing  substance,  capable  of  eternal 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  229 

happiness." — Page  676,  par.  12.  Quoted  from  The  Instructor, 
p.  6. 

Matthew  Henry,  the  great  commentator,  says:  "That  the 
soul  or  spirit  exists  and  acts  in  a  state  of  separation  from 
the  body,  and  is  therefore  immortal;  that  death  does  not  ex- 
tinguish this  'candle  of  the  Lord,'  but  takes  it  out  of  a  dark 
lantern.  It  is  not,  as  Grotius  well  observes,  the  krasis,  or 
temperament  of  the  body,  or  anything  that  dies  with  it;  but 
it  is  the  anthuposaton,  something  that  subsists  by  itself, 
which,  after  death,  is  somewhere  else  than  where  the  body 
is."— Ibid.,  vol.  3,  p.  383.— Ibid.,  p.  6. 

John  Brown's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible  says:  "Soul  signifies 
that  spiritual,  reasonable,  and  immortal  substance  in  man, 
which  distinguishes  him  from  the  beasts,  and  is  the  source  of 
our  thoughts  and  reasoning." — Ibid.,  p.  7. 

Dr.  S.  Drew  says:  "The  soul  can  not  perish,  either  from 
choice  or  necessity;  nor  from  any  material  cause;  nor  from 
the  presence  or  absence  of  any  natural  power.  It  is  invariably 
independent,  inaccessible  to  all  violence,  and  necessarily  im- 
mortal."— Sec.  4,  p.  331. — Ibid. 

Sir  Kenelm  Digby  says:  "That  man's  soul  is  a  substance: 
That  man  is  a  compound  of  some  other  substance  besides  his 
body.  That  the  soul  doth  subsist  of  itself  independently  of 
the  body."— Chaps.  9  and  10,  pp.  79-87.— Ibid. 

Ecclesiastes  12:  7:  "'And  the  spirit  shall  return  to  God 
who  gave  it.'  From  whom  it  is,  by  whom  it  is  created,  who 
puts  it  into  the  bodies  of  men,  as  a  depositum  they  are  in- 
trusted with  and  are  accountable  for,  and  should  be  con- 
cerned for  the  safety  and  salvation  of  it;  this  was  originally 
breathed  into  man  at  his  first  creation,  and  is  now  formed 
within  him  by  the  Lord;  hence  he  is  called  the  'God  of  the 
spirits  of  all  flesh.'  (See  Genesis  2:4;  Zechariah  12:1; 
Numbers  16:  22.)"— Gill's  Commentary,  vol.  3,  p.  668. 

"That  when  the  body,  which  is  here  its  prison,  rather  than 
its  mansion,  falls  to  the  earth,  'tis  not  oppressed  by  its  ruins, 
but  set  free  and  enjoys  the  truest  liberty.  This  made  Hera- 
clitus  say  that  the  soul  goes  out  -of  the  body  like  lightning 


230  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

from  a  cloud,  because  it  is  never  more  clear  in  its  conceptions 
than  when  freed  from  matter. 

"And  what  Lucretius  excellently  expresses  in  his  verses,  is 
true  in  another  sense  than  he  intended: 

"  'Credit  item  retrode  terra,  quod  fuit  ante, 

In  terram;  sed  quod  missum  est  ex  Athens  oris, 
Id  rursus  cceli  fulgentia  templa  receptant.' 

1  'What  sprang  from  earth  falls  to  its  native  place, 
What  heav'n  inspired,  released  from  the  weak  tie 
Of  flesh,  ascends  beyond  the  shining  sky.'  " 
—Dr.  William  Bates,  chap.  10,  p.  182.— Ibid.,  p.  8. 

"There  can  be  no  doubt,  then,  that  Paul  really  expected  to 
be  immediately  with  Christ  when  he  died;  that  in  proportion 
as  his  labors  were  protracted  before  death  would  the  time  be 
put  off  when  he  should  be  with  Christ,  and  that  if  his  period 
of  labor  was  cut  short  by  death  would  the  period  be  shortened 
which  intervened  between  him  and  Christ;  and  yet  this  could 
not  have  been  the  case  had  he  believed  that  the  soul  died  with 
the  body." — Immortality  of  the  Soul,  by  Rev.  Luther  Lee,  p. 
123.— Ibid.,  p.  9. 

"Ecclesiastes  12:7:  Then  shall  the  dust  return  to  the 
earth  as  it  was,  and  the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God  who  gave 
it.'  Putrefaction  and  solution  take  place;  the  whole  mass 
becomes  decomposed,  and  in  process  of  time  is  reduced  to  dust, 
from  which  it  was  originally  made;  while  the  spirit  (harnach) , 
that  spirit  which  God  at  first  breathed  into  the  nostrils  of 
man,  when  he  in  consequence  became  a  living  soul,  an  intel- 
ligent, rational,  discoursing  animal,  returns  to  God  who 
gave  it. 

"Here  the  wise  man  makes  a  most  evident  distinction  be- 
tween the  body  and  the  spirit;  they  are  not  the  same;  they 
are  not  both  matter.  The  body,  which  is  matter,  returns  to 
its  original  dust;  but  the  spirit  which  is  immortal  returns  to 
God.  It  is  impossible  that  two  natures  can  be  more  distinct, 
or  more  distinguished.  The  author  of  this  book  (Ecclesiastes) 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  231 

was  evidently  not  "a  materialist." — Dr.  Adam  Clark's  Com- 
mentary, vol.  3,  p.  2,560. 

Professor  Drummond  says:  "In  short,  this  is  a  correspond- 
ence which  at  once  satisfies  the  demands  of  science  and  reli- 
gion. In  mere  quantity  it  is  different  from  every  other  cor- 
respondence known.  Setting  aside  everything  else  in  religion, 
everything  adventitious,  local  and  provisional;  dissecting  into 
the  bone  and  marrow  we  find  this — a  correspondence  which 
can  never  break  with  an  environment  which  can  never  change, 
Here  is  a  relation  established  with  eternity.  The  passing 
years  lay  no  limiting  band  on  it.  Corruption  injures  it  not. 
It  survives  death.  It,  and  it  only,  will  stretch  beyond  the 
grave  and  be  found  inviolate. 

"When  the  moon  is  old,  and  the  stars  are  cold, 
And  the  books  of  the  Judgment  day  unfold." 

— Natural  Law  in  the  Spiritual  World,  p.  167.  Quoted  from 
What  is  Man,  p.  39. 

Liddell  and  Scott  define  psuche,  the  Greek  for  soul,  as  fol- 
lows: "1.  Breath,  life,  spirit.  2.  The  soul  or  immortal  part 
of  man  as  opposed  to  the  body  or  perishable  part."  Nephesh, 
according  to  Fuerst,  "means  the  soul  or  spirit;  in  other  cases, 
an  individual,  a  person,  man."  Gesenius  defines  it  to  mean, 
"spirit,  soul,  mind;  also  a  man,  person." 

Liddell  and  Scott,  in  their  Greek  Lexicon,  define  pneuma, 
the  Greek  for  spirit,  as  follows:  "Wind,  air,  the  air  we 
breathe,  'breath  of  life,'  spirit,  that  is  feeling.  The  spirit,  a 
living  being,  a  spirit,  spiritual  being." — Ibid.,  p.  54. 

SPIRIT  OF  MAN  INTELLIGENT  BETWEEN  DEATH 
AND  THE  RESURRECTION. 

THE  PRISON   HOUSE  THE  ABODE  OF  THE  WICKED. 

Prof.  Taylor  Lewis  says:  "We  are  taught  that  there  was 
a  work  of  Christ  in  Hades.  He  descended  into  Hades;  he 
makes  proclamation,  ekeruxen,  in  Hades  to  those  who  are 
there." — Hailey,  Discrepancies  of  the  Bible,  p.  192.  Quoted 
from  Joseph  the  Seer,  p.  114. 


232  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Alford  says:  "I  understand  these  words  (1  Peter  3:  18, 
20)  to  say  that  our  Lord,  in  his  disembodied  state,  did  go  to 
the  place  of  detention  of  departed  spirits,  and  did  there  an- 
nounce his  work  of  redemption,  preach  salvation  in  fact,  to 
the  disembodied  spirits  of  those  who  refused  to  obey  the  voice 
of  God  when  the  judgment  of  the  flood  was  hanging  over 
them." — Ibid. 

Professor  Hindekoper  says:  "In  the  second  and  third  cen- 
turies every  branch  and  division  of  the  Christian  church,  so 
far  as  their  records  enabled  us  to  judge,  believed  that  Christ 
preached  to  the  departed." — Ibid. 

"Souls  being  immaterial  and  incorporeal  are  invisible  to  the 
bodily  eye;  these,  therefore,  were  either  clothed  with  cor- 
poreal forms,  as  angels  are,  or  as  John  saw  them  on  the  Isle 
of  Patmos  in  a  visionary  way;  and  these  were  the  souls  of 
such  as  had  been  slain ;  their  bodies  were  dead,  but  they  were 
alive;  which  shows  the  immortality  of  souls,  and  that  they 
die  not  with  their  bodies;  and  that  they  live  after  them  in  a 
separate  state  of  existence." — Gill's  Commentary,  vol.  2,  p.  971. 
— Instructor,  p.  18. 

"Hell,  the  place  and  state  of  the  damned.  The  wicked  shall 
be  turned  into  hell.  .  .  .  The  wicked  in  hell  not  only  undergo 
the  punishment  of  sense,  but  also  that  of  loss." — Cruden's 
Concordance,  vol.  1,  p.  327. — Ibid.,  p.  23. 

Matthew  Henry's  comment  on  Matthew  17,  says:  "He  will 
come,  at  last,  with  ten  thousand  of  his  saints;  as  a  specimen 
of  that  there  now  appeared  unto  them  Moses  and  Elias  talk- 
ing with  him;  observe  (1)  :  There  were  glorified  saints  attend- 
ing him,  that  when  there  were  three  to  bear  record  on  earth, 
Peter,  James,  and  John,  there  might  be  some  to  bear  record 
from  heaven  too.  Thus  here  was  a  lively  resemblance  of 
Christ's  kingdom,  which  is  made  up  of  saints  in  heaven  and 
saints  on  earth,  and  to  which  belong  the  spirits  of  just  men 
made  perfect.  We  see  here,  that  they  who  are  fallen  asleep 
in  Christ  are  not  perished,  but  exist  in  a  separate  state, 
and  shall  be  forthcoming  when  there  is  occasion.  (2)  These  two 
were  Moses  and  Elias,  men  very  eminent  in  their  day." — Vol. 
3,  p.  139.— Ibid.,  p.  13.. 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  233 

"Upon  John  17:  24  (3)  :  The  request  itself:  That  all  the 
elect  might  come  to  be  with  him  in  heaven  at  last,  to  see  his 
glory,  and  to  share  it.  It  is' where  Christ  is,  where  I  am,  in 
the  paradise  where  Christ's  soul  went  at  death;  in  the  third 
heavens,  where  his  soul  and  body  went  at  his  ascension:  Where 
I  am, — am  to  be  shortly, — am  to  be." — Vol.  3,  p.  675. — Ibid., 
pp.  14,  15. 

Again  he  says:  "The  beggar  died,  and  was  carried  by 
angels  into  Abraham's  bosom.  (1)  His  soul  existed  in  its 
state  of  separation  from  its  body.  It  did  not  die  or  fall 
asleep  with  the  body,  his  candle  was  not  put  out  with  him, 
but  lived,  and  acted,  and  knew  what  it  did,  and  what  was 
done  to  it.  (2)  His  soul  removed  to  another  world,  to  the 
world  of  spirits;  it  returned  to  God  who  gave  it,  to  its  native 
country;  this  is  implied  in  its  being  carried.  ...  (5)  The 
next  news  that  we  hear  of  the  rich  man,  after  the  account 
of  his  death  and  burial  is,  that  'in  hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes, 
being  in  torment.'  His  estate  is  very  miserable.  He  is  in  hell, 
in  Hades,  in  the  state  of  separate  souls,  and  there  he  is  in  the 
uttermost  misery  and  anguish  possible." — Volt  3,  p.  438. — 
Ibid.,  p.  15. 

Sir  Kenelm  Digby  writes  that  a  "separate  soul  knoweth  all 
that  it  knew  while  it  was  in  the  body." — Par.  6,  p.  693. — Ibid., 
p.  16. 

"That  the  thinking  principle  in  man  is  of  an  immortal 
nature,  was  believed  by  the  ancient  Egyptians,  the  Persians, 
the  Phoenicians,  the  Scythians,  the  Celts,  the  Druids,  the 
Assyrians, — by  the  wisest  and  most  celebrated  characters 
among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  by  almost  every  other 
ancient  nation  and  tribe  whose  records  have  reached  our  time. 
.  .  .  They  all  embraced  the  idea,  that  death  is  not  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  rational  soul,  but  only  its  introduction  to  a  new 
and  unknown  state  of  existence.  .  .  .  Immortality  of  the  soul 
did  not  originate  with  the  Egyptians,  but  being  attributed 
by  Josephus  to  the  Greeks.  Plato  himseif,  the  greac  Greek 
philosopher,  distinctly  shows  that  he  derived  it  from  the 
Jewish  writers  of  antiquity. — Dick's  works,  vol.  1,  pp.  9-11. 
—Ibid.,  pp.  16,  17. 


234  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

Abbott's  Dictionary  of  Religious  Knowledge,  article  "Im- 
mortality"; .  .  .  "Belief  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul  is 
almost  universal." — Ibid.,  p.  17.' 

"Therefore  with  Alford,  Trench,  Wordsworth,  and  the  best 
commentators,  we  take  the  passages  relative  to  the  rich  man 
and  Lazarus  as  teaching,  at  all  events,  two  things:  first,  that 
the  soul  of  man  is  conscious  after  death ;  and  secondly,  that, 
according  to  its  moral  character,  it  goes  either  into  a  place 
of  happiness  and  repose,  or  into  one  of  disquiet  and  misery. 
These  two  thoughts  not  only  lie  upon  the  surface  of  the  nar- 
rative, but  they  also  constitute  its  very  life  and  essence."- 
Discrepancies  of  the  Bible,  pp.  190,  191. — Ibid. 

"Theologians  have  endeavored  to  get  rid  of  this  obvious 
reference  (1  Peter  3:19,  20)  by  explaining  it  of  Christ 
preaching  in  the  person  of  Noah;  or  by  making  'He  preached' 
mean  'He  announced  condemnation.'  .  .  .  These  attempts  arise 
from  that  spirit  or  system  which  would  fain  be  more  orthodox 
than  Scripture  itself." — Early  Days  of  Christianity,  pp.  91, 
92.— Ibid.,  p.  24. 

"In  Murdock's  Syriac,  which  is  a  translation  of  the  Teshito 
Syriac  New  Testament,'  we  have  the  following  rendering  of 
the  same  passage  (1  Peter  3:  19)  :  'And  he  preached  to  those 
souls  which  were  detained  in  Hades.'" — What  is  Man,  p.  69. 

PARADISE  THE  ABODE  OF  THE  GOOD  SPIRITS 
BETWEEN  DEATH  AND  THE  RESURRECTION. 

Josephus  says:  "The  countenance  of  the  fathers,  and  of 
the  just,  which  they  see,  always  smiles  upon  them,  while  they 
wait  for  that  rest  and  eternal  new  life  in  heaven  which  is  to 
succeed  this  region.  This  place  we  call  the  bosom  of  Abra- 
ham."— Page  744,  Whitson  edition. 

Saint  Clement  in  his  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  says: 
"Peter  .  .  .  suffered  martyrdom,  by  the  command  of  the  gov- 
ernors, and  departed  out  of  the  world,  and  went  unto  his  holy 
place." — Apostolic  Fathers,  Wake's  Translation,  p.  60. — Jo- 
seph the  Seer,  p.  116. 

Of  the  martyrdoms  of  Saint  Ignatius  it  is  said  in  an  epistle 
from  the  church  at  Smyrna,  where  he  suffered:  "Being  sud- 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  235 

denly  taken  by  the  beasts  from  the  world,  he  might  appear 
before  the  face  of  Christ." — Apostolic  Fathers,  p.  179. — Ibid. 

Eusebius,  in  giving  an  account  of  the  martyrdom  of  Lucius, 
represents  him  as  saying  to  his  judge:  "For  now  I  ani  liber- 
ated from  wicked  masters,  and  am  going  to  the  good  Father 
and  King,  even  God." — Ecclesiastical  History,  chap.  17,  pp. 
141,  142. 

Again  he  says:  "About  this  time  (A.  D.  244),  also,  other 
men  sprung  up  in  Arabia  as  the  propagators  of  false  opinions. 
They  asserted  that  the  human  soul,  as  long  as  the  present 
state  of  the  world  existed,  perished  at  death,  and  died  with 
the  body,  but  that  it  would  be  raised  again  with  the  body  at 
the  time  of  the  resurrection." — Chap.  37,  p.  239. 

Tertullian  says:  "There  is  a  sister  amongst  us  who  pos- 
sesses the  faculty  of  revelation.  .  .  .  She  informed  us  that 
she  had  seen  a  soul  in  a  bodily  shape;  ...  It  was  tender 
(delicate) ,  shining,  of  the  color  of  the  air,  but  in  everything 
resembling  the  human  form." — History  Supernatural,  vol.  1, 
p.  443. — Joseph  the  Seer,  p.  117. 

Matthew  Henry  says:  "  'This  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me'; 
to-night ;  before  to-morrow.  The  souls  of  the  righteous,  after 
they  are  delivered  from  the  burden  of  the  flesh,  are  imme- 
diately in  joy  and  felicity." — Vol.  3,  p.  478.  Quoted  from  The 
Instructor,  p.  19. 

"Our  Savior  must  have  used  this  word  (paradise)  in  the 
sense  in  which  the  Jews  understood  it;  the  place  of  happiness, 
into  which  pious  souls,  when  separated  from  the  body,  are 
immediately  received." — Doctor  Whitby,  from  New  Testament 
(Doctor  Mant  and  Doctor  D'Oyley,  D.  D.).— Ibid.,  p.  20. 

"Second  Corinthians  12:4:     'How  that  he  was  caught  up 
into  paradise,'  and  had  a  foretaste  of  the  blessed  state  of  the 
faithful  souls  between  death  and  the  resurrection.     For  such 
is  the  sense  of  the  word  paradise  in  the  New  Testament- 
Doctor  Parkhurst. — Ibid. 

"Abraham's  Bosom." — This  phrase,  used  in  Luke  16:  22,  as 
a  description  of  heaven,  takes  its  significance  from  the  practice 
customary  in  the  Orient,  at  the  time  of  Christ,  of  reclining  on 
couches  at  meals  in  such  a  way  that  each  guest  rested  upon 


236  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

the  bosom  of  his  left  hand  neighbor.  This  position  with 
respect  to  the  master  of  the  house  was  one  of  especial  honor, 
and  only  occupied  by  dear  friends.  To  lie  in  Abraham's  bosom, 
thus  became  a  metaphor  expressive  of  the  highest  spiritual 
condition  and  felicity,  and,  as  such,  was  employed  by  Christ  in 
contrasting  the  condition  of  Lazarus  in  the  other  world  with 
that  of  the  rich  man  who  had  his  good  things  in  his  lifetime. — 
Dictionary  of  Religious  Knowledge,  by  Lyman  Abbott.  Quoted 
from  What  is  Man,  p.  140. 

HELL  OR  HADES,  THE  ABODE  OF  SPIRITS. 

-THE   PRISON    HOUSE. 

Plato,  the  learned  Greek,  tells  us  that  hell— Hades— (Greek 
words)  is  "the  world  of  spirits." — Plato,  by  Pond,  p.  125. — 
Joseph  the  Seer,  p.  121. 

William  Smith,  in  his  Bible  Dictionary,  says:  "The  word 
sheol  (Hebrew)  is  never  used  of  the  grave  proper,  or  place 
of  burial  of  the  body.  It  is  always  the  abode  of  spirits,  like 
the  Greek  Hades."— Note  on  "hell."— Ibid. 

In  revisers'  preface  of  the  Revised  Version  of  the  Bible, 
1885,  we  have  this:  "Hebrew  sheol,  which  signifies  the  abode 
of  the  departed  spirits,  and  corresponds  to  the  Greek  hades. 

Irenaeus,  who  lived  between  the  years  120  A  D.  and  202 
A.  D.,  among  other  things,  says:  "And  to  as  many  as  continue 
in  their  love  toward  God,  does  he  grant  communion  with  him. 
But  communion  with  God  is  life  and  light  and  the  enjoyments 
of  all  the  benefits  which  he  has  in  store.  But  on  as  many  as 
according  to  their  own .  choice  depart  from  God,  he  inflicts 
that  separation  from  himself  which  they  have  chosen  of  their 
own  accord.  But  separation  from  God  is  death,  and  separa- 
tion from  light  is  darkness;  and  separation  from  God  consists 
in  the  loss  of  all  the  benefits  which  he  has  in  store.  .  .  .  God 
however  does  not  punish  them  immediately  of  himself,  but 
that  punishment  falls  upon  them  because  they  are  destitute 
of  all  that  is  good.  Now  good  things  are  eternal  and  without 
end  with  God,  and  therefore  the  loss  of  these  is  also  eternal 
and  never  ending.  It  is  in  this  matter  just  as  occurs  in  the 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  237 

case  of  a  flood  of  light;  those  who  have  blinded  themselves 
or  have  been  blinded  by  others,  are  for  ever  deprived  of  the 
enj'oyment  of  light.  It  is  not,  however,  that  the  light  has 
inflicted  upon  them  the  penalty  of  blindness,  but  it  is  that  the 
blindness  itself  has  brought  calamity  upon  them." — Adv.  Hasr., 
vol  27,  p.  2. 

Tertullian,  A.  D.,  circ.,  150-216:  "In  short,  inasmuch  as  we 
understand  the  prison  pointed  out  in  the  gospel  to  be  Hades 
and  we  also  interpret  the  uttermost  farthing  to  mean  the 
very  smallest  offense  which  has  to  be  atoned  for  there  before 
the  resurrection  (Matthew  5:  25,  26),  no  one  will  hesitate  to 
believe  that  the  soul  undergoes  in  Hades  some  compensatory 
discipline  without  prejudice  to  the  full  process  of  the  resur- 
rection when  the  recompense  will  be  administered  through 
the  flesh  besides." — De  Anima,  58. 

Lactantius,  d.  A.  D.  circ.  312:  "If  the  soul  which  has  its 
origin  from  God,  gains  the  mastery,  it  is  immortal  and  lives 
in  perpetual  light;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  the  body  shall  over- 
power the  soul  and  subject  it  to  its  dominion,  it  is  everlasting 
darkness  and  death,  and  the  force  of  this  is  not  that  it  alto- 
gether annihilates  the  souls  of  the  unrighteous,  but  subjects 
them  to  everlasting  punishment.  We  term  that  punishment 
the  second  death  which  is  itself  also  perpetual,  as  also  is 
immortality.  .  .  .  We  thus  define  the  second  death:  Death  is 
the  suffering  of  eternal  pain;  or  thus:  Death  is  the  condem- 
nation of  souls  for  their  deserts  to  eternal  punishments." 
—Institutes,  2 :  3. 

Clement  of  Alexandria,  circ.  A.  D.  200,  (Punishment  aims 
at  the  sinner's  own  good)  :  "The  general  of  an  army  by  in- 
flicting fines  and  corporal  punishments  with  chains  and  the 
extremest  disgrace  on  offenders,  and  sometimes  even  punishing 
individuals  with  death,  aims  at  good,  doing  so  for  the  admoni- 
tion of  the  officers  under  him." — Oratio  Catechism,  chap.  8. 

Diodore  of  Tarsus,  d.  A.  D.  394,  says:  "A  perpetual 
reward  is  prepared  for  the  good  on  account  of  their  labors 
and  the  right,  justice,  and  equity  of  the  rewarder;  but  the 
punishment  of  the  unjust  is  nevertheless  not  perpetual,  nor 
shall  the  immortality  prepared  for  them  be  made  useless  to 


238  PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK 

them,  but  they  may  be  tortured  for  a  short  time  according  to 
the  measure  and  merit  of  their  sin  and  impiety,  and  according 
to  the  amount  of  malice  in  their  works.  They  shall  then 
suffer  pain  and  torment  for  a  short  time,  but  the  happiness 
of  immortality  which  shall  have  no  end  shall  remain  for  them. 
Indeed,  if  the  rewards  of  good  works  are  so  surpassing,  how 
much  could  the  length  of  eternity  prepared  for  them  exceed 
the  length  of  time  of  the  limited  strifes  in  the  career  of  the 
present  age;  the  punishments  indeed  which  are  to  be  inflicted 
for  the  many  and  weighty  crimes  shall  be  far  exceeded  fey 
the  greatness  of  compassion.  It  is  not  then  for  tfre  good,  so 
far  as  this  is  concerned,  that  the  grace  of  the  resurrection 
is  reckoned,  but  even  for  the  wicked.  For  the  grace  of  God 
honors  the  good  indeed  munificently  and  freely;  but  pitifully 
and  mercifully  does  he  determine  the  torments  of  the  wicked." 
—In  Asseman  Biblical  Oriental,  vol.  3,  p.  322. 

Theodore  of  Mopsuestia,  circ.  A.  D.  350-428,  says:  "In  the 
world  to  come  those  who  have  chosen  good  things  shall  with 
praise  receive  the  fruit  of  their  good  works;  but  the  wicked 
who  have  done  wrong  throughout  their  life,  after  great  and 
fearful  punishments,  shall  come  to  their  senses,  and  choosing 
the  good,  not  among  the  good,  but  among  the  wicked,  since 
they  have  sinned,  shall  learn  to  hold  themselves  steadfast 
and  in  this  way  shall  obtain  a  knowledge  of  the  blessed 
doctrine  of  the  fear  of  God,  having  learned  to  believe  in  it 
with  a  good  will.  Then  at  last  they  shall  merit  the  enjoyment 
of  the  divine  liberality.  For  he  would  never  have  said,  'Until 
thou  shalt  return  the  last  farthing,'  unless  it  had  been  possible 
that  it  should  be  done;  that  removing  the  punishment  of  sin 
we  should  be  set  free  from  them.  Neither  would  he  have  said, 
'He  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes,  and  he  shall  be  beaten 
with  few  stripes,'  if  there  was  no  end  to  the  infliction  when 
men  had  suffered  a  punishment  commensurate  with  their  sin." 
—In  Asseman  Biblical  Oriental,  vol.  3,  p.  323. 

Augustine,  A.  D.  353-450,  says:  "For  our  part  we  recognize 
that  even  in  this  life  some  punishments  are  purgatorial.  .  .  . 
But  temporary  punishments  are  suffered  by  some  in  this  life 
only,  by  others  after  death,  by  others  both  now  and  then;  but 


PARSONS'   TEXT   BOOK  239 

all  of  them  before  that  last  and  strictest  judgment.  But  of 
those  who  suffer  temporary  punishment  after  death,  all  are 
not  doomed  to  those  everlasting  pains  which  are  to  follow 
that  judgment;  for  to  some  as  we  have  already  said,  what 
is  not  remitted  in  this  world,  is  remitted  in  the  next,  that  is 
they  are  not  punished  with  the  eternal  punishment  of  the 
world  to  come." — Civit  Dei,  12,  13. 

'Ambrose,  A.  D.  340-397,  says:  "No  one  ascends  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  except  by  means  of  the  sacrament  of 
baptism.  .  .  .  For  unless  a  man  has  been  born  again  of  water 
and  the  Spirit,  he  can  not  enter  the  kingdom  of  God." — De 
Abrah,  2,  11. 

Caesarius  of  Aries,  circ.  A.  D.  480-543,  says:  "All  the 
good  who  serve  God  faithfully,  who  seek  to  apply  themselves 
to  reading  and  prayer,  and  to  persevere  in  good  works,  build- 
ing up  (cf.  1  Corinthians  3:  12) — neither  capital  crimes  nor 
small  sins — but  good  works,  shall  pass  through  that  fire  of 
which  the  apostle  speaks.  But  those  who  are  apt  to  commit 
small  sins,  and  are  negligent  to  make  amends,  shall  come  unto 
eternal  life,  because  they  believed  in  Christ  and  committed 
no  capital  crimes,  but  before  that,  they  shall  be  purified  either 
in  this  age  by  the  justice  of  God  by  means  of  the  bitterest 
tribulation,  or  by  their  own  acts;  by  many  charities,  and 
especially  when  they  are  mercifully  kind  to  their  enemies,  and 
shall  be  freed  by  the  mercy  of  God;  or  else  certainly  they 
shall  be  tortured  for  a  long  time  by  that  fire  of  which  the 
apostle  speaks;  that  they  may  attain  to  the  future  life,  with- 
out spot  or  wrinkle." — Homil  8,  8. 

Pope  Gregory  the  Great,  A.  D.  540-604,  says:     "Some  faults 
may  be  forgiven  in  this  age  and  some  in  the  age  to  come,  for 
since   it  is   denied   concerning   one   thing,   the    logical   conse- 
quence is  evident  that  it  is  conceded   of  certain   others."- 
Dial.  4,  39. 

Master  Eckhart,  A.  D.  1260-1329,  says:  "The  question  has 
been  raised,  What  is  it  that  burns  in  hell?  The  masters 
generally  say  it  is  self-will.  But  I  say  in  truth  it  is  not 
having,  which  constitutes  the  burning  of  hell.  Learn  this 
from  a  parable:  If  you  were  to  take  a  burning  coal  and 


240  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

put  it  on  my  hand,  and  I  were  to  assert  that  the  coal  is 
burning  my  hand,  I  should  be  wrong.  But  if  I  be  asked, 
what  is  it  that  burns  me,  I  say  it  is  the  not  having,  that  is 
the  coal  has  something  which  my  hand  has  not.  .  You  per- 
ceive then  that  it  is  the  not  having  which  burns  me.  But  if 
my  hand  had  all  that  which  the  coal  has,  it  would  possess  the 
nature  of  fire.  In  that  case  you  might  take  all  the  fire  that 
burns  and  put  it  on  my  hand  without  tormenting  me.  In 
the  same  manner  I  say,  if  God  and  those  who  stand  before 
his  face  enjoy  that  perfect  happiness  which  those  who  are 
separated  from  him  possess  not,  it  is  the  not  having  which 
torments  the  soul  in  hell,  more  than  self-will  or  fire." — 
Predigt  auf  denersten  Sonnt  nach  Trin.  Stud.  u.  Krit,  1839. 

Thomas  Erskine,  of  Linlathen,  A.  D.  1788-1870,  says:  "I 
have  a  hope  which  I  would  not  willingly  think  contrary  to 
the  revelation  of  mercy,  of  the  ultimate  salvation  of  all.  I 
trust  that  he  who  came  to  bruise  the  serpent's  head  will  not 
cease  his  work  of  compassion  until  he  has  expelled  the  fatal 
poison  from  every  individual  of  our  race.  I  humbly  think  the 
promise  bears  this  wide  interpretation.  You  believe  not,  I 
know.  Well  the  judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do  right.  .  .  . 
I  hope  for  the  departed.  I  hope  in  that  unmeasured  love 
which  gave  the  Savior;  in  fact  my  soul  refuses  to  believe 
in  final  ruin,  when  it  contemplates  the  blood  of  Christ.  .  .  . 
I  hope  that  he  who  came  to  bruise  the  serpent's  head,  and  to 
destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil,  will  not  cease  his  labors  of 
love  till  every  particle  of  evil  introduced  into  this  world  has 
been  converted  into  good." — Letters,  pp.  92-105. 

Charles  Chauncy,  A.  D.  1705-1787,  says:  "Upon  the  whole, 
therefore,  what  I  mean  to  prove,  in  the  following  essay,  is 
that  the  scheme  of  revelation  has  the  happiness  of  all  man- 
kind lying  at  bottom,  as  its  great  and  ultimate  end;  that  it 
gradually  tends  to  this  end  and  will  not  fail  of  its  accomplish- 
ment when  fully  completed,  .  .  .  [Those]  who  have  proved 
incurable  under  the  means  which  have  been  used  with  them  in 
this  state,  instead  of  being  happy  in  the  next  will  be  awfully 
miserable;  not  to  continue  so  finally,  but  that  they  may  be 
convinced  of  their  folly,  and  recover  to  a  virtuous  frame  of 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  241 

mind.  .  .  .  And  there  may  be  yet  other  states  before  the 
scheme  of  God  may  be  perfected,  and  mankind  universally 
cured  of  their  moral  disorders,  and  in  this  way  qualified  for, 
and  finally  instated  in,  eternal  happiness." — Sensible  Thoughts 
on  the  State  of  Religion  in  New  England,  preface. 

SPIRITUALISM'  EXPOSED— THE  DEVIL'S  WORK— 
THE  COUNTERFEIT. 

HOW   TO   BECOME   A    MEDIUM. 

Professor  Cadwell,  a  mesmerist,  medium,  and  spiritual  lec- 
turer, in  a  pamphlet  entitled  "Spiritualism  versus  the  Bible," 
says:  "Your  best  and  quickest  way  is  to  be  mesmerized  by  any 
mesmerist  that  you  may  have  confidence  in,  requesting  that,  as 
soon  as  you  become  unconscious,  he  ask  some  spirit  to  come 
and  take  control  of  your  physical  system.  .  .  .  One  great 
hindrance  to  mediumship,  with  those  who  sit,  is  the  fear  of 
being  made  to  say  or  do  something  they  may  be  ashamed  of 
...  If  you  sit  for  spirits  to  control  you,  let  them  do  it  the 
best  way  they  can,  and  not  interfere  too  much.  ...  If  you 
wish  to  know  whether  you  are  a  medium  for  a  partial -or  full 
form  materialization,  sit  with  a  few  intimate  friends,  place 
a  number  of  articles  on  the  tab.le  before  sitting  around  it, 
and  make  the  room  perfectly  dark  during  the  first  few  sit- 
tings. There  may  be  a  guitar  or  violin  on  the  table,  a  small 
tea  bell,  a  glass  partially  filled  with  water,  and  one  contain- 
ing a  teaspoon.  Sit  with  hands  joined  a  part  of  the  time, 
and  engage  in  light,  but  not  frivolous  or  excitable,  conversa- 
tion, and  in  singing  some  well  known  song,  in  which  the 
majority  or  all  should  join.  About  one  hour  is  long  enough 
to  sit,  unless  the  manifestations  commence.  Do  not  expect 
too  much  at  first.  Let  the  same  company  sit,  and  in  the  same 
room  at  regular  intervals  once  or  twice  a  week,  for  not  less 
than  eight  or  ten  weeks.  Let  no  others  join,  unless  known 
to  be  in  perfect  sympathy  and  very  mediumistic.  The  proba- 
bilities are,  judging  from  my  past  experience,  that  five  out 
of  ten  of  such  circles  will  get  manifestations  within  a  month." 
— Spiritual  Gifts  and  Spiritual  Manifestations,  pp.  95,  96. 


242  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

TESTIMONY  AS   TO   THEIR   METHOD   OF  WORKING   WONDERS   FROM 
VARIOUS    SPIRITUALISTIC    SOURCES. 

Mrs.  Cora  Hatch,  lecturing  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  while 
in  a  trance  state,  was  asked  to  explain  why  it  was  necessary 
to  have  the  room  darkened  when  those  wonderful  phenomena 
are  performed.  She  replied  that  "the  spirit  said":  "The 
action  of  light  agitates,  dissipates,  or  in  some  way  so  dis- 
turbs the  fluid,  gas,  magnetism,  or  whatever  the  instrumen- 
tality be  called,  which  is  employed  by  spirits  in  acting  upon 
grosser  matter,  that  they  are  unable  to  control  and  employ  it." 
— The  Spiritualist,  of  August  15,  1857.  Quoted  from  Spirit- 
ualism Unveiled,  p.  14. 

"There  is  a  distinction  between  mesmerism  and  spiritual- 
ism." The  following  answers  the  question:  "Mesmerism  is 
something  which  a  man  does  while  he  has  his  clothes  on; 
spiritualism  is  a  similar  act  of  his  after  his  clothes  have  been 
put  off.  Suppose  I  magnetize  you  to-day;  and  that  I,  the 
mesmerizer,  speak,  write,  act,  through  you,  you  being  uncon- 
scious— this  is  mesmerism.  Suppose,  further,  that  I  die  to- 
night, and  that  to-morrow,  I,  a  spirit,  come  and  magnetize 
you,  and  then  speak,  write,  act,  through  you — this  is  spir- 
itualism."— Spiritual  Age,  April  3,  1858. — Ibid.,  p.  15. 

In  the  Banner  of  Light,  July  30,  1857,  we  find  the  follow- 
ing: "The  correctness  of  communications  from  spirits, 
through  trance  mediums,  depends  upon  the  more  or  less  per- 
fect mesmeric  control  the  spirit  has  over  the  medium  or  sub- 
ject."—Ibid. 

Again,  in  August  22,  1863,  we  read  the  following  account  of 
questions  put  to  a  spirit  and  the  answers  returned: 

"Q.  How  do  we*  understand  that  spirits  control  an  or- 
ganism? 

"A.  We  have  just  informed  you  that  they  do  so  by  means 
of  the  magnetic  aura,  or  animal  magnetism. 

"Q.  Do  spirits  concentrate  their  power  upon  the  brain  and 
nerves? 

"A.  Sometimes  on  the  nervous  system.  In  cases  of  me- 
chanical writing,  power  is  concentrated  upon  the  ganglion  of 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  243 

the  arm,  ancT  is  not  at  all  connected  with  the  brain.  In  cases 
of  entire  physical  control,  then  it  pervades  the  entire  physical 
body."— Ibid.,  p.  16. 

"At  a  spiritualist  circle  held  at  the  office  of  the  Banner  of 
Light,  in  Boston,  May  2,  1864,  the  communicating  spirit  was 
asked,  'What  is  the  modus  operandi  of  controlling  a  medium?' 
The  spirit  answered:  'As  a  free  intelligence,  or  spirit,  who 
by  nature  has  no  right  to  the  medium's  body,  my  first  step 
is  to  come  and  hold  communion  with  the  spirit  who  owns  the 
body.  The  result  of  that  communion  is  not  transmitted  to 
the  external  senses  of  the  medium,  but  to  the  internal;  there- 
fore it  is  quite  as  tangible,  as  real,  to  the  spirit,  as  it  could 
be  to  the  external.  I  ask  that  spirit,  'Will  you  yield  me  up 
the  control  of  your  mortal  form  for  a  short  time?'  The 
answer  is  generally  'I  will.'  The  spirit  is  subjected  to  the 
entire  control  of  the  predominating  spirit.  It  is,  in  a  word 
magnetized  by  the  spirit;  held  in  perfect  subjection.  And  it 
seems  to  sleep;  and  it  does  sleep,  so  far  as  external  life  is 
concerned." — Ibid. 

In  the  Banner  of  Light,  February  4,  1865,  we  find  the  fol- 
lowing record  of  a  conversation  with  a  spirit: 

"Q.  What  is  the  process  of  introduction  of  a  subject  by  a 
developing  medium? 

"A.  Well,  the  process  is  a  changing  of  the  magnetic  and 
electric  condition  of  the  subject  under  a  course  of  treatment. 
For  instance,  there  may  be  a  superabundance  of  magnetism. 
The  developing  spirit  endeavors  to  equalize  the  forces,  or  to 
bring  about  an  electrical  and  magnetic  condition  that  shall  be 
adapted  to  the  return  of  the  disembodied  spirits,  and  the 
making  of  various  manifestations. 

"Q.  Are  these  changes  effected  by  the  brain? 

"A.  No;  the  nervous  system  is  generally  affected,  then  the 
system  entire — not  simply  the  center,  but  the  system  entire. 

"Q.  Has  the  spirit  any  other  way  of  manifesting  itself  ex- 
cept through  the  brain  or  nervous  instruments?. 

"A.  Yes. 

"Q.  Where  a  spirit  controls  the  hand  of  a  medium  to  write, 
is  the  impression  always  made  through  the  brain? 


244  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

"A.  Sometimes  the  control  is  what  is  termed  mechanical 
control;  then  the  connection  between  arm  and  brain  is  entirely 
severed,  and  yet  the  manifestation  is  made  through  what  is 
called  the  nervous  fluids,  a  certain  portion  of  which  is  retained 
in  the  arm  for  the  purpose  of  action.  But  when  the  mani- 
festation is  what  is  called  an  impressional  manifestation,  then 
the  brain  and  entire  nervous  system  is  used." — Ibid.,  p.  17. 

Mr.  A.  E.  Newton,  a  noted  spiritualist,  and  formerly  editor 
of  the  Spiritual  Age,  has  this  to  say:  "First.  It  is  alleged 
to  be  possible  and  common  for  spirits  of  a  certain  class  to 
assume  the  appearance  and  characteristics  of  other  spirits,  or 
of  other  persons  still  in  the  body,  so  completely  that  the 
disguise  can  not  be  detected  by  ordinary  spirit  seers.  This 
may  be  so,  and  hence  the  common  evidences  of  the  identity  of 
spirits  are  little  to  be  relied  on.  Second.  When  two  persons 
are  closely  in  sympathetic  or  magnetic  rapport  with  each 
other,  the  images  that  are  in  one  mind  may  be  perceived  as 
objective  realities  by  the  other.  This  seems  to  be  the  case 
with  the  magnetizer  and  his  subject,  in  the  once  common 
phenomenon  of  mesmerism.  The  operator  forms  an  image,  as 
of  a  person,  a  serpent,  a  fire,  or  any  other  object,  in  his  own 
mind,  when  the  subject,  if  well  under  control,  instantly  sees 
the  same  thing  as  an  objective  reality.  So,  positive  minds  in 
a  circle,  or  positive  spirits  who  are  around,  may  present  the 
image  of  any  person  with  whom  they  are  familiar,  and  it 
may  appear  as  a  reality  to  the  impressible  medium." — Ibid., 
pp.  22,  23. 

Andrew  Jackson  Davis,  formerly  editor  of  the  Herald  of 
Progress,  October  27,  1860,  has  this  to  say:  "It  is  known 
that  a  wise  and  strong-minded  person  in  the  spirit  world  has 
the  power  to  make  visible  to  the  eyes  of  mortals  the  exact 
appearance  or  semblance  of  the  body  it  wore  before  death. 
This  representation  is  elaborated  sometimes  to  the  minutest 
particular,  even  to  the  reproduction  of  the  appearance  of  the 
habiliments,  etc.,  by  which  the  person  was  characterized  and 
identified  while  a  resident  of  the  earth." — Ibid.,  p.  24. 

Again  he  says  in  the  Herald  of  Progress,  February  1,  1862: 
"All  intelligent  spirits  are  great  artists.  They  can  vsycholo- 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  245 

gize-  a  medium  to  see  them,  and  to  describe  them  in  the  style 
which  would  produce  the  deepest  impression  on  the  receiver. 
.  .  .  They  can  easily  represent  themselves  as  being  old  or 
young,  as  in  worldly  dress  or  flowing  robes,  as  is  deemed  best 
suited  to  accomplish  the  ends  of  the  visitation." — Ibid. 

ITS   MORAL  INFLUENCE. 

Their  Doctrinal  Claims  Set  Forth. 

"The  spiritualism  of  the  present  day  is  that  which  was 
preached  eighteen  centuries  ago."  "Christianism  should  then 
be  synonymous  with  spiritualism."  The  doctrines  of  Christ 
are  to  be  reestablished  in  their  purity.  This  is  to  be  done 
by  spiritualism,,  which  embraces  all  that  tends  to  elevate  man, 
and  will  be  to  the  New  Testament  what  that  was  to  the  Old 
— a  light  thrown  on  its  obscurities." — Ibid.,  p.  19. 

Again,  a  spirit  which  professes  to  be  that  of  John  Adams, 
says:  "I  was  happy  ...  in  the  religion  of  Christ  which  he 
taught  eighteen  hundred  years  ago — in  spiritualism  as  it  is 
now  called." — Ibid. 

Mr.  Partridge,  editor  of  the  Spiritual  Telegraph,  speaking 
of  the  permanency  of  spiritualism,  says:  "It  is  likely  to 
pervade  and  absorb  all  denominations  of  Christians,  exert  a 
moral  and  reformatory  power  among  the  nations,  and  inaugu- 
rate the  millennial  era."  "We  feel  that  our  advance  will  be 
irresistible,  and  our  conquests  speedy  and  sure.  To  spiritual- 
ists is  committed  the  gospel  of  the  present  age." — Ibid.,  pp. 
29,  30. 

In  Spiritual  Age,  of  July  4,  1857,  we  read:  "Christianity 
and  spiritualism  stand  upon  the  same  foundation.  .  .  .  Spir- 
itualism has  given  it  (Christianity)  a  vitality  which  it  had 
not  possessed  before  since  the  time  of  the  apostles." — Ibid., 
p.  30. 

"Mrs.  Laura  McAlpine  Cuppy,  after  her  lecture  in  the 
Dodsworth  Hall  of  New  York,  Sunday  evening,  November  22, 
1863,  was  asked  this  question: 

"  'In  what  does  the  new  gospel  consist?' 

"Answer:  The  new  gospel,  as  we  understand  it  ...  is 
the  philosophy  of  spiritualism,  so  called,  and  the  philosophy  of 


246  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

spiritualism  embraces  all  the  virtues,  and  strikes  at  the  root 
of  all  evils,  social,  political,  and  religious.  .  .  .  There  is  one 
thing  we  know,  viz,  that  we  are  by  nature  divine.  .  .  .  We 
have  always  asserted  that  there  is  not  a  single  argument  that 
can  be  brought  against  spiritualism  that  is  not  competent  as 
an  argument  against  the  Christianity  of  the  past — not  one. 
"Q.  I  understand  the  word  gospel  to  mean  'good  news.' 
"A.  It  does;  and  spiritualism  is  good  news — the  best  that 
ever  came  to  earth." — Ibid. 

THE   OTHER   SIDE,   BY   THOSE   WHO    KNOW. 

Dr.  B.  F.  Hatch,  formerly  husband  of  Mrs.  Cora  V.  Hatch, 
the  noted  trance  speaking  medium,  says:  "The  extensive 
opportunity  which  I  have  had,  and  that  too  among  the  first 
class  of  spiritualists,  of  learning  its  nature  and  results,  I 
think  will  enable  me  to  lay  just  claims  to  being  a  competent 
witness  in  the  matter. 

"I  am  aware  that  what  I  have  to  say  will  offend  many  who 
are  less  acquainted  with  the  whole  phenomena  than  myself, 
and  such  as  may  feel  themselves  involved,  and  will  please 
others;  but  it  is  for  neither  purpose,  that  I  write,  but  that 
the  inexperienced  may  more  fully  comprehend  the  dangers 
attending  it.  I  am  frequently  asked  if  I  still  believe  in  the 
phenomena  of  spiritualism.  I  answer,  Yes.  I  should  deem 
it  more  than  a  waste  of  time  to  write  about  what  does  not 
exist.  .  .  .  But  through  it  all,  I  believe  that  there  is  a 
powerful  influx  of  an  infernal  error  into  nearly  all  medium- 
istic  minds  which  greatly  corrupts  the  moral  sensibility  and 
proves  almost  universally  most  disastrous  to  its  victims. 

"I  have  heard  much  of  the  improvement  in  individuals  in 
consequence  of  a  belief  in  spiritualism.  With  such  I  have 
had  no  acquaintance.  But  I  have  known  many  whose  integ- 
rity of  character  and  uprightness  of  purpose  rendered  them 
worthy  examples  to  all  around,  but  who,  on  becoming  mediums 
and  giving  up  their  individuality,  also  gave  up  every  sense  of 
honor  and  decency.  A  degree  of  severity  in  this  remark  will 
apply  to  a  large  class  of  both  mediums  and  believers.  There 
are  thousands  of  high-minded  and  intelligent  spiritualists  who 
will  agree  with  me  that  it  is  no  slander  in  saying  that  the 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  247 

inculcation  of  no  doctrines  in  this  country  has  ever  shown 
such  disastrous  moral  and  social  results  as  the  spiritual  theo- 
ries. .  .  .  Iniquities  which  have  justly  received  the  condemna- 
tion of  centuries  are  openly  upheld;  vices  which  would  destroy 
every  wholesome  regulation  of  society  are  crowned  as  virtues; 
prostitution  is  believed  to  be  fidelity  to  self;  marriage  an  out- 
rage on  freedom;  love  evanescent,  and  like  the  bee,  should 
sip  the  sweets  wherever  found;  bastards  are  claimed  to  be 
spiritually  begotten.  All  change,  of  whatever  nature,  is  be- 
lieved to  be  an  improvement,  as  there  is  no  retrogression. 
Iniquity  is  only  the  effervescence  of  the  outworkings  of  a 
heavenly  destiny.  God  is  shorn  of  his  personality  and  be- 
comes simply  a  permeating  principle;  the  Bible  a  libel  on 
common  sense  and  Christ  a  mere  medium,  hardly  equal  to  the 
spiritual  babies  of  'this  more  progressive  age.' 

"With  such  doctrines  before  us,  what  have  we  to  hope? 
That  they  are  rapidly  increasing,  no  one  can  deny.  The  end 
is  not  yet. 

"The  most  damning  iniquities  are  everywhere  perpetrated 
in  spiritual  circles,  a  very  small  percentage  of  which  ever 
comes  to  public  attention.  I  care  not  whether  it  be  spiritual 
or  mundane,  the  facts  exist,  and  should  demand  the  attention 
and  just  condemnation  of  an  intelligent  community.  Look  at 
the  iniquities  which  have  been  committed  within  the  past  two 
weeks  in  this  city,  and  that,  too,  by  spiritual  mediums  who 
claim  to  be  controlled  by  angels.  It  is  worse  than  useless  to 
talk  to  the  spiritualists  against  this  condition  of  things,  for 
those  who  occupy  the  highest  position  among  them,  are  aiding 
and  abetting  in  all  classes  of  iniquities  which  prevail  amongst 
them.  The  abrogation  of  marriage,  bigamy,  accompanied  by 
robbery,  theft,  rapes,  are  all  chargeable  to  spiritualism.  I 
most  solemnly  affirm  that  I  do  not  believe  that  there  has, 
during  the  past  five  hundred  years,  arisen  any  class  of  peo- 
ple who  were  guilty  of  so  great  a  variety  of  crimes  and  in- 
decencies as  the  spiritualists  of  America. 

"For  a  long  time  I  was  swallowed  up  in  its  whirlpool  of 
excitement,  and  comparatively  paid  but  little  attention  to  its 
evils,  believing  that  much  good  might  result  from  the  open- 


248  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

ings  of  the  avenues  of  spiritual  intercourse.  But  during 
the  past  eight  months  I  have  devoted  my  attention  to  a 
critical  investigation  of  its  moral,  social,  and  religious  bear- 
ing, and  I  stand  appalled  before  the  revelations  of  its  awful 
and  damning  realities,  and  would  flee  from  its  influence  as  I 
would  from  the  miasma  which  would  destroy  both  soul  and 
body.  Spiritualism  and  prostitution  with  a  rejection  of  Chris- 
tianity, are  twin  sisters,  which  everywhere  go  hand  in  hand. 
With  but  little  inquiry,  I  have  been  able  to  count  up  over 
seventy  mediums,  most  of  whom  have  wholly  abandoned  their 
conjugal  relations,  others  living  with  their  paramours  called 
'affinities,'  others  in  promiscuous  adultery,  and  still  others 
exchanged  partners.  Old  men  and  women,  who  have  passed 
the  meridian  of  life,  are  not  unfrequently  the  victims  of  this 
hallucination.  Many  of  the  mediums  lose  all  sense  of  moral 
obligations,  and  yield  to  whatever  influence  may  for  the  time 
be  brought  to  bear  upon  them.  Their  pledges,  the  integrity 
of  their  oaths,  are  no  more  reliable  than  the  shifting  breezes 
of  the  whirlwind,  for  they  are  made  to  yield  to  the  powers 
which  for  the  time  control  them." — Ibid.,  pp.  31-33. 

Dr.  F.  L.  Nichols,  a  distinguished  spiritualist,  speaking  of 
the  mission  of  spiritualism,  says:  "Spiritualism  meets,  neu- 
tralizes, and  destroys  Christianity.  A  spiritualist  is  no  longer 
a  Christian  in  any  popular  sense  of  the  term.  Advanced 
spirits  do  not  teach  .  .  .  the  atonement  of  Christ — nothing 
of  the  kind." — Nichols'  Monthly  Magazine  of  Social  Science 
and  Progressive  Literature,  November,  1854,  p.  66. — Ibid., 
p.  33. 

Dr.  P.  B.  Randolph,  a  noted  lecturer  on  spiritualism,  who 
says  he  has  been  in  a  trance  state  about  two  thousand  five 
hundred  times,  says:  "Spiritualism  is  all  eye  and  head,  no 
soul  and  heart;  all  intellect,  no  emotions;  all  philosophy,  no 
religion;  all  spirit,  no  God!  And  even  the  social  reformatory 
movement  has  dwindled  down  into  prostitutional  nurseries! 

"I  enter  the  arena  as  the  champion  of  common  sense, 
against  what  in  my  soul  I  believe  to  be  the  most  tremendous 
enemy  of  God,  morals  and  religion  that  ever  found  foothold  on 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  249 

the  earth — the  most  seductive,  hence  most  dangerous,  form  of 
sensualism  that  ever  cursed  a  nation,  age  or  people. 

"I  was  a  medium  about  eight  years,  during  which  time  I 
made  three  thousand  speeches,  and  traveled  over  several  dif- 
ferent countries,  proclaiming  the  new  gospel.  I  now  regret 
that  so  much  excellent  breath  was  wasted,  and  that  my  health 
of  mind  and  body  was  well-nigh  ruined.  I  have  only  begun 
to  regain  both  since  I  totally  abandoned  it,  and  to-day  had 
rather  see  the  cholera  in  my  house  than  be  a  spiritual  medium. 
.  .  The  anti-Bible,  anti-God,  anti-Christian  spiritualism,  I  had 
perfectly  demonstrated  to  be  subversive,  unrighteous,  destruc- 
tive, disorderly,  and  irreligious;  consequently  to  be  shunned 
by  every  true  follower  of  God  and  holiness. 

"For  seven  years  I  held  daily  intercourse  with  what  pur- 
ported to  be  my  mother's  spirit.  I  am  now  firmly  persuaded 
that  it  was  nothing  but  an  evil  spirit  and  infernal  demon,  who 
in  that  guise  gained  my  soul's  confidence  and  led  me  to  the 
very  brink  of  ruin.  .  .  .  Five  of  my  friends  destroyed  them- 
selves, and  I  attempted  it  by  direct  spiritual  influences.  Every 
crime  in  the  calendar  has  been  committed  by  mortals  moved  by 
viewless  beings!  Adultery,  fornications,  suicides,  desertions, 
unjust  divorces,  prostitution,  abortion,  insanity,  are  not  evil, 
I  suppose!  I  charge  all  these  to  this  scientific  spiritualism. 
...  It  has  banished  peace  from  happy  families,  separated 
husbands  and  wives,  and  shattered  the  intellect  of  thousands." 
— New  York  Tribune,  November  21,  1858. — Ibid.,  pp.  34,  35. 

Again  he  speaks,  as  found  in  the  Banner  of  Light,  a  leading 
spiritualist  paper:  "I  have  a  volume  of  sixty  closely  written 
pages,  of  names  of  those  who  have  been  drawn  down  from 
respectability,  morality,  wealth  and  intelligence,  to  the  filth  of 
free  love,  poverty,  and  to  insanity  itself. 

"Spiritualism  is  a  synonym  of  all  falsities  and  lies;  a  cloak 
for  all  kinds  of  crimes — adultery,  murder  and  lust;  it  weakens 
man's  intellect  and  individuality;  changes  his  worship  of  God 
to  a  worship  of  ghosts." — Ibid.,  p.  36. 

Mr.  Joel  Tiifany,  a  man  who  has  been  a  champion  in  spir- 
itualism, says:  "After  all  of  our  investigations  for  seven  or 
eight  years,  we  must  say,  that  we  have  as  much  evidence,  that 


250  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

they  are  lying  spirits  as  we  have  that  they  are  any  spirits  at 
all.  .  .  .  The  doctrines  they  teach  .  .  .  are  mostly  contradictory 
and  absurd." — Ibid. 

Mr.  T.  L.  Harris,  a  Swedenborgian  minister,  who  became  a 
spiritualist,  and  lectured  in  Europe,  said,  as  reported  in  the 
London  Advertiser:  "The  marriage  vow  imposes  no  obliga- 
tions in  the  views  of  spiritualists.  Husbands  who  had  for 
years  been  so  devotedly  attached  to  their  wives  that  they  have 
said  nothing  in  the  world  but  death  itself  could  part  them, 
have  abandoned  their  wives,  and  formed  criminal  connections 
with  other  females,  because  the  spirits  have  told  them  that 
there  was  a  greater  spiritualist  affinity  between  these  hus- 
bands and  certain  other  women,  than  between  them  and  their 
lawful  wives.  Wives,  too,  the  most  devoted  and  loving,  and 
true  to  their  husbands,  that  had  ever  contracted  the  marriage 
obligation,  had  left  their  husbands  and  children,  and  lived  in 
open  immorality  with  other  men,  because  the  spirits  had  told 
them  that  they  ought  to  do  so,  on  the  ground  of  there  being 
a  greater  spiritualist  sympathy  between  them  and  these  men 
than  between  them  and  their  husbands." — Ibid.,  pp.  36,  37. 

Mr.  J.  F.  Whitney,  editor  of  the  New  York  Pathfinder,  says : 
"Now,  after  a  long  and  constant  watchfulness,  seeing  for 
months  and  years  its  progress  and  its  practical  workings  upon 
its  devotees,  its  believers  and  its  mediums,  we  are  compelled 
to  speak  our  honest  conviction,  which  is,  that  the  manifesta- 
tion coming  through  the  acknowledged  mediums,  who  are 
designated  as  rapping,  tipping,  writing,  and  entranced  medi- 
ums, have  a  baneful  influence  upon  believers,  and  create  dis- 
cord and  confusion;  that  the  generality  of  these  teachings 
inculcate  false  ideas,  approve  of  selfish,  individual  acts,  when 
carried  out,  debase  and  make  them  little  better  than  the  brute." 

Again  he  says:  "Seeing  as  we  have  the  gradual  progress 
it  makes  with  its  believers,  particularly  its  mediums,  from 
lives  of  morality  to  those  of  sensuality  and  immorality,  gradu- 
ally and  cautiously  undermining  the  foundations  of  good  prin- 
ciples, we  look  back  with  amazement  to  the  radical  change 
which  a  few  months  will  bring  about  in  individuals." 

Again:     "We  desire  to  send  forth  our  warning  voice;  and 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  251 

if  our  humble  position  as  the  head  of  a  public  journal,  our 
known  advocacy  of  spiritualism,  our  experience,  and  the  con- 
spicuous part  we  have  played  among  its  believers;  the  honesty 
and  the  fearlessness  with  which  we  have  defended  the  subject, 
will  weigh  anything  in  our  favor,  we  desire  that  our  opinions 
may  be  received,  and  those  who  are  moving  passively  down 
the  rushing  rapids  to  destruction,  should  pause,  ere  it  be  too 
late,  and  save  themselves  from  the  blasting  influence  which 
those  manifestations  are  causing." — Ibid.,  pp.  38,  39. 

"FORBIDDING  TO  MARRY." 

"At  the  Reform  Spiritualist  Convention,  held  at  Rutland, 
Vermont,  June,  1858,  the  following  resolution  was  presented 
and  defended:  'Resolved,  That  the  only  true  and  natural 
marriage  is  an  exclusive  conjugal  love  between  one  man  and 
one  woman;  and  the  only  true  home  is  the  isolated  home  based 
upon  this  exclusive  love.'  " 

Mrs.  Julia  Branch,  of  New  York,  speaking  upon  said  reso- 
lution, said:  "I  am  aware  that  I  have  chosen  almost  a  for- 
bidden subject;  forbidden  from  the  fact  that  anyone  who  can 
or  dare  look  the  marriage  question  in  the  face,  candidly  and 
openly  denouncing  the  institution  as  the  sole  cause  of  woman's 
degradation  and  misery,  are  objects  of  suspicion,  of  scorn,  and 
opprobrious  epithets." 

Again  she  said:  "She  must  demand  her  freedom;  her 
right  to  receive  the  equal  wages  of  man  in  payment  for  her 
labor;  her  right  to  have  children  when  she  will,  and  by  whom." 
—Ibid.,  pp.  39-41. 

Mrs.  Lewis  said  at  the  Spiritual  Convention  at  Ravenna, 
Ohio,  July  4,  1857:  "To  confine  her  to  love  one  man  was  an 
abridgment  of  her  rights.  .  .  .  Although  she  had  one  husband 
in  Cleveland,  she  considered  herself  married  to  the  whole  hu- 
man race  (males).  All  men  were  her  husbands,  and  she  had 
an  undying  love  for  them.  What  business  is  it  to  the  world 
whether  one  man  is  the  father  of  my  children,  or  ten  men  are! 
I  have  a  right  to  say  who  shall  be  the  father  of  my  offspring." 
—Ibid.,  p.  43. 

William  B.  Potter  says:     "We  have  through  our  own  medi- 


252  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

umship  and  that  of  others,  had  'spirit  manifestations/  which 
the  most  careful  and  rigidly  scientific  investigations  have 
shown,  beyond  all  doubt  or  possibility  of  mistake,  to  be  of 
spirit  origin.  Fifteen  years  of  critical  study  of  spiritual  litera- 
ture, an  extensive  acquaintance  with  the  leading  spiritualists, 
and  a  patient,  systematic,  and  thorough  investigation  of  the 
manifestations,  for  many  years,  enable  us  to  speak  from  actual 
knowledge,  definitely  and  positively  of  spiritualism  as  it  is. 
Spiritual  literature  is  full  of  the  most  insidious  and  seductive 
doctrines  calculated  to  undermine  the  very  foundations  of 
morality  and  virtue,  and  lead  to  the  most  unbridled  licentious- 
ness. .  .  .  Hundreds  of  families  have  been  broken  up,  and  many 
affectionate  wives  deserted  by  'affinity-seeking'  husbands. 
Many  once  devoted  wives  have  been  seduced,  and  left  their 
husbands  and  tender,  helpless  children,  to  follow  some  'higher 
attraction.'  " — Ibid.,  pp.  44,  45. 

THE    SPIRITS'    CREED. 
THE    BIBLE    IS    NOT    A    RELIABLE    BOOK. 

In  the  testimony  of  a  spirit  given  in  the  Banner  of  Light, 
November  23,  1861,  it  is  said:  "Many  times  before  we  have 
said  that  we  can  not  place  implicit  confidence  in  that  which 
we  find  between  the  lids  of  the  Bible." 

A  spirit,  claiming  to  be  Rev.  John  Moore,  says:  "My  friend 
asks,  'Do  you  believe  the  Bible?'  I  answer,  No,  I  do  not.  I 
can  not  believe  one  word  of  it  as  the  word  of  God." — Ibid., 
p.  50. 

THERE   IS    NO    SIN. 

"We  say,  as  we  have  said  a  thousand  times  before,  there 
is  no  such  thing  as  sin;  no  such  thing  as  evil.  .  .  .  Now,  then, 
if  there  is  sin  anywhere,  God  made  that  sin — he  is  the  author 
of  it."  "The  foundation  of  your  religion  is  fast  fading  away. 
Soon  we  shall  find  you  shaking  hands  with  these  new  things. 
This  must  be  s;o.  .  .  .  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  if  he  were  here  to-day, 
would  tell  you  as  we  tell  you."  "Spiritually  and  divinely 
considered,  there  is  no  sin.  Full  well  we  know  the  book  you 
call  the  Bible  teaches  of  sin.  Full  well  we  know  the  whole 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  253 

Christian  world  recognizes  such  a  condition;  but,  to  us,  there 
is  no  sin."  "Everything  that  ever  has  been  or  ever  will  be 
is  an  immutable  decree  of  God.  ...  It  is  vain  for  man  to  talk 
about  disobeying  the  law  of  God;  he  can  at  no  time  disobey 
it.  ...  Every  grain  of  sand  you  tread  upon  to-day  shall  in 
time  become  an  immortal  soul,  endowed  with  wisdom.  .  .  .  You 
may  curse  the  Author  of  your  being.  Do  you  sin?  No;  you 
are  but  casting  off  the  gross  in  your  nature — obeying  your 
God.  .  .  .  We  believe  our  God  to  be  the  author  of  sin,  as  of 
good.  If  we  give  him  his  due,  we  give  him  this." — Ibid.,  pp. 
50,  51. 

THERE  IS  NO  DEVIL. 

"There  is  no  devil  either.  .  .  .  Seems  to  me  as  though  man 
must  be  devoid  of  good  sense  to  believe  anything  of  the  kind." 
—Ibid.,  p.  52. 

CHRIST  IS   NOT  RAISED. 

"But  the  question  arises,  What  became  of  the  body  of  Jesus? 
We  answer,  the  friends  of  Jesus  stole  away  the  body.  ...  So 
then  we  will  say  the  natural  body  of  Jesus  Christ  was  never 
reanimated  after  the  crucifixion.  All  nature,  our  God  (self) 
tells  us  so."— Ibid. 

MAN   IS   HIS  OWN   JUDGE. 

"Within  the  bosom  of  every  man  and  woman  there  is  a 
judgment  seat,  a  throne  of  God;  and  before  that,  and  that 
alone,  should  men  bow  down  and  worship.  By  that  alone 
they  are  to  be  guided.  He  is  to  be  judged  by  himself  as  a 
spirit;  he  is  to  come  before  no  other  tribunal.  If  by  the  law 
of  self  he  is  condemned,  he  must  suffer  according  to  the  con- 
demnation ;  if  acquitted  by  self,  he  is  indeed  acquitted." — Ibid. 

NO    RESURRECTION    OF    THE    DEAD. 

"We  presume  our  good  brothers  will  ask  if  Jesus  did  not 
raise  the  dead?  He  never  did,  and  never  could."  "The  grave 
is  the  resting  place  of  the  form  we  no  more  require." — Ibid., 
p.  53. 


254  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

MAN  IS  HIS  OWN  SAVIOR. 

"The  only  true  religion  is  a  natural  religion.  .  .  .  You  are 
your  own  Saviors."  "In  answer  to  the  question,  'Did  not 
Christ  die,  that  through  his  death  we  might  inherit  eternal 
life?'  a  spirit  answers,  'No I.Christ  did  not  die,  that  through 
his  death  we  might  live.  .  .  .  His  death  has  no  more  to  do  with 
the  remission  of  sins  than  the  death  of  any  of  your  martyrs.'  " 
"No  man  should  rely  upon  any  Savior  outside  of  himself.  .  .  . 
Each  and  everyone  is  a  savior,  as  he  is  a  judge,  a  god." 

MAN  IS  GOD. 

"God  is  man,  and  man  is  God.  .  .  .  Tell  us  of  God,  .  .  .  they 
might  as  well  say,  Tell  us  of  ourselves."  "The  being:  called 
God  exists,  organically,  in  the  form  of  the  being  called  man." 
—Educator,  p.  303.— Ibid.,  p.  57. 

Another  spirit  says:  "When  man  became  a  living  soul, 
he  became  a  god."  "Look  within  yourself,  and  behold  yourself 
a  god,  responsible  for  every  act.  Read  the  inscriptions  there, 
and  thou  shalt  learn  that  thou  art  a  god  in  thyself,  and  thine 
own  judge." 

THERE   IS    NO   GOD. 

"There  is  no  God  anywhere  to  forgive  sin." — Ibid. 

"The  idea  of  a  God  of  illimitable  capacity  is  so  incompre- 
hensible, that,  in  our  judgment,  it  borders  on  the  absurd.  God, 
in  the  abstract,  is  a  nonentity,  an  ideality  of  man's  brains." 
— Spiritual  Telegraph,  January  24,  1857. — Ibid.,  p.  58. 

Another  spirit  says:  "We  must  regard  him  (God)  as  a 
central  principle,  but  not  as  a  being.  ...  A  principle  existing 
in  matter,  in  all  conditions,  and  in  all  relations,  a  part  of 
everything."  "The  divine  is  of  necessity,  ...  a  vast  ocean  of 
magnetism." — Educator,  p.  526; — Ibid. 

Dr.  R.  T.  Hallock  said:  "Now  we  may  cheerfully  sympa- 
thize with  his  mirthful  explosion  of  the  popular  divinity;  no 
merciful  man  will  object  even  to  his  expunging  from  his 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  255 

vocabulary  the  three  hateful  little  letters   (G-o-d)   which  ex- 
press it." — Spiritual  Telegraph. — Ibid.,  p.  59. 

Dr.  William  B.  Potter,  in  his  work,  Spiritualism  as  It  Is, 
says:  "The  teachings  and  theories  given  through  the  different 
manifestations,  are  as  various  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive. 
Indeed,  few  of  the  most  devoted  'seekers  after  truth  under 
difficulties'  are  aware  of  the  endless  contradictions  and  ab- 
surdities that  are  mixed  up  with  the  most  exalted  truths  and 
the*  most  profound  philosophies.  We  have  room  for  only  a 
tithe  of  them,  for  we  have  not  yet  found  the  first  question 
or  subject  about  which  they  do  not  contradict  each  other." 
—Ibid.,  p.  62. 

LATTER   DAY  APOSTASY. 

As  foretold  by  prophets,  apostles,  and  Joseph  Smith,  the 
Seer: 

"Cursed  be  the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh 
flesh  his  arm,  and  whose  heart  departeth  from  the  Lord: 
for  he  shall  be  like  the  heath  in  the  desert,  and  shall  not  see 
when  good  cometh;  but  shall  inhabit  the  parched  places  in 
the  wilderness,  in  a  salt  land  and  not  inhabited." — Jeremiah 
17:  5,  6.  (I  emphasize  two  words  salt  land  to  attract  your 
attention.) 

"But  chiefly  them  that  walk  after  the  flesh  in  the  lust  of 
uncleanness,  and  despise  government.  Presumptuous  are 
they,  self-willed,  they  are  not  afraid  to  speak  evil  of  dignities: 
having  eyes  full  of  adultery,  and  that  can  not  cease  from  sin." 
— 2  Peter  2:  10,  14.  (This  was  made  apparent  in  the  late 
investigation  before  the  senatorial  committee.) 

"But  there  were  false  prophets  also  among  the  people, 
even  as  there  shall  be  false  teachers  among  you,  who  privily 
shall  bring  in  damnable  heresies,  even  denying  the  Lord  that 
bought  them,  and  bring  upon  themselves  swift  destruction. 
And  many  shall  follow  their  pernicious  ways;  by  reason  of 
whom  the  way  of  truth  shall  be  evil  spoken  of." — 2  Peter  2: 
1,2. 

"Notwithstanding    her    children    are    scattered,    they   that 


256  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

remain  and  are  pure  in  heart  shall  return  and  come  to  their 
inheritances." — Doctrine  and  Covenants  98:  4. 

"And  ye  shall  be  scourged  from  city  to  city,  and  from 
synagogue  to  synagogue,  and  but  few  shall  stand  to  receive 
an  inheritance." — Doctrine  and  Covenants  63 :  8. 

"I  have  decreed  that  your  brethren,  which  have  been  scat- 
tered, shall  return  to  the  land  of  their  inheritances  and  build 
up  the  waste  places  of  Zion ;  for  after  much  tribulation,  »  .  . 
their  restoration  to  the  land  of  Zion,  ...  ye  must  needs  be 
led  out  of  bondage  by  power,  and  with  a  stretched  out  arm." 
— Doctrine  and  Covenants  100:  3.  (These  are  only  a  tithe.) 

"JOURNAL    OF    DISCOURSES." 

The  elders  of  the  Utah  church  frequently  deny  statements 
from  the  Journal  of  Discourses,  as  not  being  authentic;  and 
charging  the  elders  of  the  Reorganized  church  with  misrep- 
resenting facts.  The  following  ought  to  be  of  interest  to  them, 
and  lead  them  to  a  better  consideration  of  those  who  would 
be  their  friends  if  they  would  permit  it : 

"GREAT  SALT  LAKE,  UTAH  TERRITORY,  June  1, 1853. 

"Elder  Samuel  W.  Richards,  and  the  Saints  Abroad.  Dear 
Brethren: — It  is  well  known  to  many  of  you,  that  Elder 
George  D.  Watt,  by  our  counsel,  spent  much  time  in  the 
midst  of  poverty  and  hardships  to  acquire  the  art  of  report- 
ing, in  phonography,  which  he  has  faithfully  and  fully  ac- 
complished; and  he  has  been  reporting  the  public  sermons, 
discourses,  lectures,  delivered  by  the  Presidency,  the  Twelve, 
and  others  in  this  city,  for  nearly  two  years,  almost  without 
fee  or  reward.  Elder  Watt  now  proposes  to  publish  a  journal 
of  these  reports,  in  England,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Saints 
at  large,  and  to  obtain  means  to  enable  him  to  sustain  his 
highly  useful  position  of  reporter.  You  will  perceive  at  once 
that  this  will  be  a  work  of  mutual  benefit,  and  we  cheerfully 
and  warmly  request  your  cooperation  in  the  purchase  and 
sale  of  the  above  named  Journal,  and  wish  all  the  profits 
arising  therefrom  to  be  under  the  control  of  Elder  Watt." 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  257 

(Signed  by  the)    "First  Presidency  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints. 

"BRIGHAM  YOUNG. 

"HEBER  C.  KIMBALL. 

"WILLARD  RICHARDS." 

— Journal  of  Discourses,  vol,  1,   (introduction  of  the  book.) 
Also  Millennial  Star,  vol.  15,  pp.  730,  781. 

REORGANIZED    AT    KANESVILLE    BY    BRIGHAM 
YOUNG. 

Millennial  Star:  "Since  the  murder  of  Pres.  Joseph 
Smith,  many  false  prophets  and  false  teachers  have  arisen, 
and  tried  to  deceive  many,  during  which  time  we  have  mostly 
tarried  with  the  body  of  the  church,  or  been  seeking  a  new 
location,  leaving  those  prophets  and  teachers  to  run  their 
race  undisturbed,  who  have  died  natural  deaths,  or  committed 
suicides;  and  we  now,  having  it  in  contemplation  soon  to 
reorganize  the  church  according  to  the  original  pattern,  with 
a  First  Presidency  and  Patriarch,  feel  that  it  will  be  the 
privilege  of  the  Twelve,  ere  long,  to  spread  abroad  among 
the  nations,  not  to  hinder  the  gathering,  but  to  preach  the 
gospel,  and  push  the  people,  the  honest  in  heart,  together 
from  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth." — Epistle  of  the  Twelve, 
Winter  Quarters,  December  23,  1847,  vol.  10,  p.  86. 

Millennial  Star:  "At  this  conference  we  suggested  to  the 
brethren  the  propriety  of  organizing  the  church  with  a  First 
Presidency  and  a  Patriarch,  as  hinted  at  in  our  General 
Epistle,  and  the  expediency  of  such  a  move  at  this  time  was 
so  clearly  seen  by  the  brethren,  that  they  hailed  it  as  an  action 
which  the  state  of  the  work  at  present  demanded,  and  as  a 
means  to  liberate  the  hands  of  the  quorum  of  the  Twelve, 
who  now  feel  at  liberty  to  go  abroad  and  herald  the  truth 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth  and  build  up  the  kingdom  in  all  the 
world.  Accordingly  Brigham  Young  was  nominated  to  be 
the  First  President  of  the  church,  and  he  nominated  Heber  C. 
Kimball  and  Willard  Richards  to  be  his  counselors,  which 
nominations  were  seconded  and  carried  without  a  dissenting 
voice." — Winter  Quarters,  Jan.  23,  1848,  vol.  10,  pp.  114,  115. 


258  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

WHO    ORDAINED    BRIGHAM? 

Brigham  Young  said:  "Who  ordained  me  to  be  First 
President  of  this  church  on  earth?  I  answer,  it  is  the  choice 
of  this  people,  and  that  is  sufficient." — Journal  of  Discourses, 
vol.  6,  p.  320. 

F.  D.  Richards  said:  "In  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  no  one  has  ever  been  ordained  to  be  presi- 
dent of  the  church.  In  the  beginning  the  Lord  sent  Peter, 
James  and  John,  and  they  ordained  Joseph  Smith  an  apostle 
and  he  was  instructed  how  to  organize  and  build  up  the 
church  in  this  dispensation. 

"When  the  Prophet  and  Apostle  Joseph  Smith  was  taken 
from  us,  Brigham  Young,  being  president  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles  it  devolved  upon  him  to  preside  over  the  church,  as 
the  apostle  is  the  highest  office  known  in  the  church  of  Christ. 
So  also,  when  the  Prophet  and  Apostle  Brigham  Young  died, 
John  Taylor,  being  president  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  it  de- 
volved upon  him.  In  the  same  manner,  when  he  departed, 
Wilford  Woodruff,  being  president  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  the 
Presidency  devolved  upon  him.  Neither  Joseph  Smith,  Brig- 
ham  Young,  John  Taylor,  nor  Wilford  Woodruff  were  ordained 
presidents  of  the  church.  It  is  not  according  to  the  order 
of  the  church  to  ordain  presidents  of  the  church,  for  there 
is  no  such  order  of  the  priesthood  known  in  the  church. "- 
True  Succession  in  Church  Presidency,  p.  154. 

Brigham  Young  said:     "No  man  need  judge  me.    You  know 
nothing  about  it,  whether  I  am  sent  or  not;  furthermore,  it 
is  none  of  your  business,  only  to  listen  with  open  ears  to  what 
is  taught  you,  and  serve  God   with   an  undivided  heart. "- 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  341- 

History  of  Utah  by  Whitney,  vol.  1,  pages  348,  349:  "On 
the  6th  of  August  the  President  and  the  apostles  who  were 
with  him,  namely:  Heber  C.  Kimball,  Orson  Pratt,  Willard 
Richards,  Wilford  Woodruff,  George  A.  Smith  and  Amasa  M. 
Lyman,  'renewed  their  covenants'  by  baptism,  President 
Young,  entering  the  water — City  Creek — immersed  each  of  the 
others  according  to  the  usual  mode,  after  which  he  laid 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  259 

hands  upon  and  confirmed  them,  resealing  upon  each  his 
apostleship.  Heber  C.  Kimball — next  to  Brigham  Young  the 
senior  of  the  Twelve — then  baptized  and  confirmed  the  Presi- 
dent in  like  manner." 

FIRST    PUBLIC    INTRODUCTION    OF    POLYGAMY 
WAS    MADE    IN    SALT    LAKE    CITY. 

At  a  conference  in  Salt  Lake  City,  August  29,  1852,  Orson 
Pratt  said :  "It  is  quite  unexpected  to  me  brethren  and  sisters 
to  be  called  upon  to  address  you  this  forenoon ;  and  still  more 
so,  to  address  you  upon  the  principle  which  has  been  named, 
namely,  a  plurality  of  wives.  It  is  rather  new  ground  for 
me;  that  is,  I  have  not  been  in  the  habit  of  publicly  speaking 
upon  this  subject;  and  it  is  rather  new  ground  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  United  States,  and  not  only  to  them,  but  to  a 
portion  of  the  inhabitants  of  Europe;  a  portion  of  them  have 
not  been  in  the  habit  of  preaching  a  doctrine  of  this  descrip- 
tion; consequently  we  shall  have  to  break  up  new  ground. 
It  is  well  known,  however,  to  the  congregation  before  me,  that 
the  Latter  Day  Saints  have  embraced  the  doctrine  of  a  plural- 
ity of  wives,  as  a  part  of  their  religious  faith.  It  is  not,  as 
many  have  supposed,  a  doctrine  embraced  by  them  to  gratify 
the  carnal  lusts  and  feelings  of  man;  that  is  not  the  object  of 
the  doctrine.  We  shall  endeavor  to  set  forth  before  this 
enlightened  assembly  some  of  the  causes  why  the  Almighty- 
has  revealed  such  a  doctrine,  and  why  it  is  considered  a  part 
and  portion  of  our  religious  faith.  And  I  believe  that  they 
will  not,  under  our  present  form  of  Government,  (I  mean  the 
Government  of  the  United  States)  try  us  for  treason  for 
believing  and  practicing  our  religious  notions  and  ideas.  I 
think,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  that  the  Constitution  gives  the 
privilege  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  this  country,  of  the  free 
exercise  of  their  religious  notions,  and  the  freedom  of  their 
faith,  and  the  practice  of  it.  Then,  if  it  can  be  proven  to  a 
demonstration,  that  the  Latter  Day  Saints  have  actually  em- 
braced, as  a  part  and  portion  of  their  religion,  the  doctrine 
of  a  plurality  of  wives,  it  is  constitutional.  And  should  there 
ever  be  laws  enacted  by  this  Government  to  restrict  them 


260  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

from  the  free  exercise  of  this  part  of  their  religion,  such 
laws  must  be  unconstitutional." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol. 
1,  pp.  53,  54. 

Brigham  Young  said  the  same  day,  "You  heard  Brother 
Pratt  state,  this  morning,  that  a  revelation  would  be  read 
this  afternoon,  which  was  given  previous  to  Joseph's  death. 
It  contains  a  doctrine,  a  small  portion  of  the  world  is  opposed 
to;  but  I  can  deliver  a  prophecy  upon  it.  Though  that  doctrine 
has  not  been  practiced  by  the  elders,  this  people  have  believed 
in  it  for  years.  .  .  .  The  principle  spoken  upon  by  Brother 
Pratt,  this  morning,  we  believe  in.  And  I  tell  you — for  I 
know  it,  it  will  sail  over,  and  ride  triumphantly  above  all  the 
prejudice  and  priestcraft  of  the  day;  it  will  be  fostered  and 
believed  in  by  the  more  intelligent  portions  of  the  world,  as 
one  of  the  best  doctrines  every  proclaimed  to  any  people.  Your 
hearts  need  not  beat;  you  need  not  think  that  a  mob  is  coming 
here  to  tread  upon  the  sacred  liberty  which  the  constitution 
of  our  country  guarantees  unto  us,  for  it  will  not  be.  .  .  .  This 
revelation  has  been  in  my  possession  many  years,  and  who 
has  known  it?  None  but  those  who  should  know  it.  I  keep 
a  patent  lock  on  my  desk,  and  there  does  not  anything  leak 
out  that  should  not." — Supplement  to  vol.  15  of  Millennial 
Star,  p.  31. 

"The  elders  of  Israel  frequently  called  upon  me — 'Brother 
Brigham,  a  word  in  private,  if  you  please.'  Bless  me,  this  is 
no  secret  to  me,  I  know  what  you  want,  it  is  to  get  a  wife! 
'Yes,  Brother  Brigham,  if  you  are  willing.'  I  tell  you  here 
now,  in  the  presence  of  the  almighty  God,  it  is  not  the  privi: 
lege  of  any  elder  to  have  even  ONE  wife,  before  he  has  honored 
his  priesthood,  before  he  has  magnified  his  calling.  If  you 
obtain  one,  it  is  by  mere  permission,  to  see  what  you  will  do, 
how  you  will  act,  whether  you  will  conduct  yourself  in  right- 
eousness in  that  holy  estate.  TAKE  CARE  !  Elders  of  Israel  be 
cautious,  or  you  will  lose  you-r  wives  and  your  children. "- 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  119. 

"Think  not,  O  ye  elders  of  Israel!  that  your  eternal  heir- 
ship  is  won,  and  immutably  secured,  because  you  have  at- 
tained to  a  portion  of  the  holy  priesthood,  and  a  few  of  its 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  261 

initiating:  ordinances,  while  as  yet  your  life  and  the  security 
of  all  your  great  and  glorious  blessings  in  hope  and  prospect, 
are  as  a  vapor  before  the  sun;  as  yet  depending  wholly  on 
your  meekness,  faithfulness,  and  perseverance  to  the  end,  in 
everything  good.  Think  not  that  you  are  legally  entitled  to 
even  one  wife,  while  yo'u  live  on  this  earth,  unless  you  are 
sealed  up  to  everlasting  lives,  by  the  will  and  decree  of  the 
eternal  Father,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  fact  has  been  com- 
municated to  you,  through  the  proper  source,  and  not  direct 
to  you,  in  person.  And  consider  that  the  blessings  you  have 
hitherto  received,  through  the  mercies  of  him  who  loveth  you, 
even  your  Father  in  heaven,  will  all  be  wrested  from  you,  like 
Davitfs  of  old,  should  you  err  like  him.  To  the  sisters  in 
Israel,  we  say,  be  patient.  If  your  husband  has  died  in  the 
faith,  and  you  wish  to  be  sealed  to  him  for  eternity,  you 
must  come  to  Zion  to  receive  that  sealing  ordinance.  And  if 
a  high  priest  or  an  elder,  should  tell  you  that  you  can  not 
be  saved  if  you  are  not  sealed  to  him,  either  as  proxy  for 
time,  or  for  eternity  to  the  exclusion  of  your  dead,  thrust  him 
from  your  presence,  as  Lucifer  was  thrust  from  heaven,  for 
that  high  priest  or  elder,  will  be  damned  (unless  he  speedily 
repent) ,  as  sure  as  Lucifer  was,  and  he  can  neither  save  you, 
nor  you  him.  But  come  to  Zion,  be  patient  till  you  can  get 
here,  and  the  temple  is  completed,  and  your  oldest  son,  by 
the  husband  to  whom  you  wish  to  be  sealed,  may  stand  as  his 
father's  legal  representative  by  your  side,  and  by  him  you 
may  be  sealed  to  your  dead  husband ;  for  it  is  the  legal  right, 
in  God's  kingdom,  for  the  oldest  son  to  minister,  and  obtain 
blessings  for  his  father,  and  act  for  his  father  when  he  is 
gone  into  the  eternal  world." — Ninth  General  Epistle  of  the 
Presidency,  Salt  Lake  City,  April  13,  1853;  Millennial  Star, 
vol.  15,  p.  440. 

Mrs.  Emily  D.  P.  Young,  of  lawful  age,  being  produced, 
sworn,  and  examined,  testified- as  follows:  "I  was  born  in 
1824;  was  baptized  into  the  church  when  I  was  eight  years 
old,  in  Independence,  Missouri.  .  .  .  My  father's  name  was 
Edward  Partridge.  I  was  married  to  Brigham  Young  in 
November,  I  think,  1844.  ...  At  the  time  I  married  Brigham 


262  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

Young,  in  November,  1844,  I  was  at  the  same  time  sealed  to 
Joseph  Smith,  sealed  to  him  for  eternity;  I  was  sealed  to 
Brigham  Young  for  time,  and  to  Joseph  Smith  for  eternity. 
The  manner  that  I  was  married  to  Brigham  Young  is  known 
as  marriage  by  proxy." — Plaintiff's  Abstract,  pp.  363,  364. 

One  of  the  text-books  of  the  faith  of  the  Mormon  church 
is  a  book  known  as  a  Compendium  of  the  Doctrines  of  the 
Gospel,  compiled  by  Franklin  D.  Richards,  one  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles  of  the  Mormon  church,  and  by  Elder  James  A.  Little, 
and  now  issued  by  the  Deseret  News  Publishing  Company, 
the  official  publishing  house  of  the  Mormon  church.  In  the 
latest  edition  of  this  Compendium,  which  bears  the  date  of 
1898,  on  page  125,  there  occurs  this  startling  statement,  which 
can  not  be  read  by  any  Christian  or  loyal  American  without 
feeling  his  blood  boil:  "If  plural  marriage  be  unlawful,  then 
is  the  whole  plan  of  salvation,  through  the  house  of  Israel,  a 
failure,  and  the  entire  fabric  of  Christianity  without  founda- 
tion." (Quoted  from  Saints'  Herald,  May  9,  1906,  p.  434.) 

TOWERING  PHILOSOPHY. 

"I  prefer  to  remark  upon  subjects  as  they  present  them- 
selves to  my  mind;  though  I  might  prepare  a  course  of  lec- 
tures, and  confine  myself  to  given  subjects,  as  I  have  often 
done;  but  when  I  am  in  this  stand  I  hoist  the  gate  and  let 
the  flood  run,  not  caring  which  way  it  goes,  or  how.  .  .  . 
Come  on  with  your  knives,  your  swords,  and  fagots  of  fire, 
and  destroy  the  whole  of  us,  rather  than  we  will  forsake  our 
religion.  Whether  it  is  true  or  false  is  none  of  your  business; 
whether  the  doctrine  of  plurality  of  wives  is  true  or  false  is 
none  of  your  business." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  2,  p.  187, 
February  18,  1855,  Brigham  Young. 

THE  COMFORT  OF  POLYGAMY. 

Brigham  Young  said,  September  21,  1856:  "Men  will  say, 
'My  wife,  though  an  excellent  woman,  has  not  seen  a  happy 
day  since  I  took  my  second  wife.'  'No,  not  a  happy  day  for  a 
year,'  says  one;  and  another  has  not  seen  a  happy  day  for 
five  years.  ...  I  -am  going  to  give  you  from  this  time  to  the 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  263 

6th  of  October  next  for  reflection,  that  you  may  determine 
whether  you  wish  to  stay  with  your  husbands  or  not,  and 
then  I  am  going  to  set  every  woman  at  liberty,  and  say  to 
them,  now  go  your  way.  And  my  wives  have  got  to  do  one 
of  two  things;  either  round  up  their  shoulders  to  endure  the 
afflictions  of  this  world  and  live  their  religion,  or  they  may 
leave,  for  I  will  not  have  them  about  me.  I  will  go  into 
heaven  alone,  rather  than  have  them  scratching  and  fighting 
around  me.  .  .  .  Prepare  yourselves  for  two  weeks  from  to- 
morrow; and  I  will  tell  you  now,  that  if  you  tarry  with  your 
husbands  after  I  have  set  you  free,  you  must  bow  down  to  it, 
and  submit  yourselves  to  the  celestial  law.  You  may  go 
where  you  please  after  two  weeks  from  to-morrow,  but  re- 
member that  I  will  not  hear  any  more  of  this  whining. "- 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  4,  pp*  55-57. 

Brigham  Young  said:  "The  teasers  who  come  all  the 
time  after  women,  and  soon  get  tired  of  them  and  want  to 
divorce  them,  I  make  pay  ten  dollars  for  each  divorce,  and 
that  is  my  individual  bank." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  8, 
p.  202. 

JESUS  A  POLYGAMIST. 

Orson  Hyde  said :  "It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  once  on  a 
time,  there  was  a  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee;  and  on  a 
careful  reading  of  that  transaction,  it  will  be  discovered 
that  no  less  a  person  than  Jesus  Christ  was  married  on  that 
occasion.  If  he  was  never  married,  his  intimacy  with  Mary 
and  Martha,  and  the  other  Mary  also  whom  Jesus  loved,  must 
have  been  highly  unbecoming  and  improper  to  say  the  best 
of  it." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  4,  p.  259. 

Brigham  Young  said:  "Now  hear  it,  oh  inhabitants  of  the 
earth,  Jew  and  Gentile,  saint  and  sinner!  When  our  father 
Adam  came  into  the  garden  of  Eden,  he  came  into  it  a  celestial 
body,  and  brought  Eve,  one  of  his  wives,  with  him.  He  helped 
to  make  and  organize  this  world.  .  .  .  He  is  our  father  and 
our  God,  and  the  only  God  with  whom  we  have  to  do." — Journal 
of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  50. 

Brigham   Young     said:      "Now   recollect   that   two   weeks 


264  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

from  to-morrow  I  am  going  to  set  you  at  liberty.  But  the 
first  (wife)  will  say,  'It  is  hard  for  I  have  lived  with  my 
husband  twenty  years,  and  have  raised  a  family  of  children 
for  him,  and  it  is  a  great  trial  for  me,  for  him  to  have  more 
women';  then  I  say  it  is  time  that  you  gave  him  up  to  other 
women  who  will  bear  children.  If  my  wife  had  borne  all  the 
children  that  she  ever  would  bear;  the  celestial  law  would 
teach  me  to  take  young  women  that  would  have  children." — 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  4,  P-  56. 

Joseph  F.  Smith  said,  July  7,  1878:  "Some  people  have 
supposed  that  the  doctrine  of  plural  marriage  was  a  sort 
of  superfluity,  or  nonessential  to  the  salvation  or  exaltation 
of  mankind.  In  other  words,  some  of  the  Saints  have  said, 
and  believe,  that  a  man  with  one  wife,  sealed  to  him  by  the 
authority  of  the  priesthood  for  time  and  eternity,  will  re- 
ceive an  exaltation  as  great  and  glorious,  if  he  is  faithful,  as 
he  possibly  could  with  more  than  one.  I  want  here  to  enter 
my  solemn  protest  against  this  idea,  for  I  know  it  is  false. 
There  is  no  blessing  promised  except  upon  conditions,  and  no 
blessing  can  be  obtained  by  mankind  except  by  faithful  com- 
pliance with  the  conditions,  or  law,  upon  which  the  same  is 
promised.  The  marriage  of  one  woman  to  a  man  for  time 
and  eternity  by  the  sealing  power,  according  to  the  law  of 
God,  is  a  fulfillment  of  the  celestial  law  of  marriage  in  part 
and  is  good  so  far  as  it  goes,  and  so  far  as  a  man  abides 
these  conditions  of  the  law,  he  will  receive  his  reward  there- 
for, and  this  reward,  or  blessing,  he  could  not  obtain  on  any 
other  grounds  or  conditions.  But  this  is  only  the  beginning 
of  the  law,  not  the  whole  of  it.  Therefore,  whoever  has 
imagined  that  he  could  obtain  the  fullness  of  the  blessings 
pertaining  to  this  celestial  law,  by  complying  with  only  a 
portion  of  its  conditions,  has  deceived  himself.  He  can  not 
do  it.  ...  If,  then,  this  principle  was  of  such  great  importance 
that  the  Prophet  himself  was  threatened  with  destruction,  and 
the  best  men  in  the  church  with  being  excluded  from  the  favor 
of  the  Almighty,  if  they  did  not  enter  into  and  establish  the 
practice  of  it  upon  the  earth,  it  is  useless  to  tell  me  that  there 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  265 

is  no  blessing  attached  to  obedience  to  the  law,  or  that  a  man 
with  only  one  wife  can  obtain  as  great  a  reward,  glory  or 
kingdom  as  he  can  with  more  than  one,  being  equally  faithful. 

"It  is  a  glorious  privilege  to  be  permitted  to  go  into  a 
temple  of  God  to  be  united  as  man  and  wife  in  the  bonds  of 
holy  wedlock  for  time  and  all  eternity  by  the  authority  of  the 
holy  priesthood,  which  is  the  power  of  God,  for  they  who  are 
thus  joined  together  'no  man  can  put  asunder/  for  God  hath 
joined  them.  It  is  an  additional  privilege  for  that  same  man 
and  wife  to  reenter  the  temple  of  God  to  receive  another  wife 
in  like  manner  if  they  are  worthy.  But  if  he  remain  faithful 
with  only  the  one  wife,  observing  the  conditions  of  so  much 
of  the  law,  as  pertains  to  the  eternity  of  the  marriage  cove- 
nant, he  will  receive  his  reward,  but  the  benefits,  blessings, 
and  power  appertaining  to  the  second  or  more  faithful  and 
fuller  observance  of  the  law,  he  never  will  receive,  for  he 
can  not.  As  before  stated  no  man  can  obtain  the  benefits  of 
one  law  by  the  observance  of  another.  .  .  . 

"I  understand  the  law  of  celestial  marriage  to  mean  that 
every  man  in  this  church,  who  has  the  ability  to  obey  and 
practice  it  in  righteousness  and  will  not  shall  be  damned.  I 
say  I  understand  it  to  mean  this  and  nothing  less,  and  I 
testify  in  the  name  of  Jesus  that  it  does  mean  that.  'But 
what  will  become  of  him  that  can  not  abide  it?'  Says  the 
Lord,  'Whoso  having  knowledge  have  I  not  commanded  to 
repent,  and  he  that  hath  not  understanding  it  remains  with 
me  to  do  according  as  it  is  written.'  In  other  words  he  that 
is  without  understanding  is  not  under  the  law,  and  it  remains 
for  God  to  deal  with  him  according  to  his  own  wisdom.  If  a 
man  acknowledges  that  he  is  incapable,  or  disqualified  by  a 
lack  of  knowledge,  wisdom,  or  understanding  to  obey  this 
law,  then  it  remains  with  God  to  deal  with  him  according 
to  those  principles  of  justice  which  are  written  or  are  yet  to 
be  revealed.  It  is  not  likely,  however,  that  he  will  take  his 
seat  with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  or  share  in  their  prom- 
ised blessings." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  20,  pp.  28-31. 


266  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

POLYGAMY  NOT  A  TENET  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Brigham  Young  said  June  21,  1874:  "While  we  were  in 
England  (in  1839  and  1840,)  I  think,  the  Lord  manifested  to 
me  by  vision  and  his  Spirit  things  that  I  did  not  then  under- 
stand. I  never  opened  my  mouth  to  anyone  concerning  them 
until  I  returned  to  Nauvoo.  Joseph  had  never  mentioned  this 
— polygamy.  There  had  never  been  a  thought  of  it  in  the 
church  that  I  ever  knew  anything  about  at  the  time;  but  I 
had  this  for  myself  and  I  kept  it  to  myself." — Messenger,  vol. 
1,  p.  29;  also  Deseret  News,  July  1,  1874. 

Elder  H.  A.  Stebbins  says:  "In  this  city — Salt  Lake — in 
1865,  Brigham  Young  told  Vice-president  Colfax,  Governor 
Bross  and  Editor  Bowles,  of  the  Springfield  (Massachusetts) 
Republican,  that  polygamy  was  not  a  doctrine  of  the  church 
originally,  but  that  it  was  afterwards  added." — Notes  from 
California,  No.  13,  Zion's  Ensign,  September  10,  1892. 

Brigham  Young  said:  "This  revelation  (on  celestial  mar- 
riage or  polygamy)  has  been  in  my  possession  many  years; 
and  who  has  known  it?  I  keep  a  patent  lock  on  my  desk,  and 
there  does  not  anything  leak  out  that  should  not." — Tullidge 
and  Crandel,  p.  566. 

Joseph  Smith  the  Prophet  said:  "Dr.  J.  C.  Bennett's  'se- 
cret wife  system'  is  a  matter  of  his  own  manufacture;  and 
further  to  disabuse  the  public  ear,  and  show  that  the  said 
Bennett  and  his  misanthropic  friend  Origen  Bachelor,  are 
perpetrating  a  foul  and  infamous  slander  upon  an  innocent 
people,  and  need  but  be  known  to  be  hated  and  despised. "- 
Times  and  Seasons,  vol.  3,  p.  939,  October  1,  1842. 

February,  1844 :  "As  we  have  lately  been  credibly  informed 
that  .  .  .  Hyrum  Brown  has  been  preaching  polygamy  and 
other  false  and  corrupt  doctrines,  in  the  County  of  Lapeer, 
State  of  Michigan:  This  is  to  notify  him  and  the  church  in 
general,  that  he  has  been  cut  off  from  the  church,  for  his 
iniquity."  "(Signed) 

"JOSEPH  SMITH. 
"HYRUM  SMITH." 
—Ibid.,  vol.  5,  p.  423. 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  267 

"W.e  the  undersigned  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints  and  residents  of  the  city  of 
Nauvoo,  persons  of  families  do  hereby  certify  and  declare  that 
we  know  of  no  other  rule  or  system  of  marriage  than  the  one 
published  from  the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  we 
give  this  certificate  to  show  that  Dr.  J.  C.  Bennett's  'secret 
wife  system'  is  a  creature  of  his  own  make,  as  we  know  of 
no  such  society  in  this  place,  nor  never  did. 

"(Signed) 

"S.  Bennett,  George  Miller,  Alpheus  Cutler,  Reynolds  Ca- 
hoon,  Wilson  Law,  Wilford  Woodruff,  N.  K.  Whitney,  Albert 
Petty,  Elias  Higbee,  John  Taylor,  E.  Robinson,  Aaron  John- 
son." 

"We  the  undersigned  members  of  the  Ladies'  Relief  Society, 
and  married  females  do  certify  and  declare  that  we  know  of 
no  system  of  marriage  being  practiced  in  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints  save  the  one  contained  in 
the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  we  give  this  certifi- 
cate to  the  public  to  show  that  J.  C.  Bennett's  secret  wife 
system  is  a  disclosure  of  his  own  make.  Emma  Smith, 
president.  Elizabeth  Ann  Whitney,  counselor.  Sarah  M. 
Cleveland,  counselor.  Eliza  R.  Snow,  secretary.  Mary  C. 
Miller,  Lois  Cutler,  Thirza  Cahoon,  Ann  Hunter,  Jane  Law, 
Sophia  R*.  Marks,  Poily  Z.  Johnson,  Abigal  Works,  Catharine 
Petty,  Sarah  Higbee,  Phebe  Woodruff,  Lenora  Taylor,  Sarah 
Hillman,  Rosanna  Marks,  Angeline  Robinson. — Times  and 
Seasons,  vol.  3,  pp.  939,  940. 

Testimony  of  Mrs.  Emma  Smith-Bidamon :  "He  [Joseph 
Smith]  had  no  other  wife  but  me;  nor  did  he  to  my  knowledge 
ever  have.  .  .  .  He  did  not  have  any  improper  relation  with 
any  woman  that  ever  came  to  my  knowledge.  ...  I  know 
that  he  had  no  other  wife,  or  wives,  than  myself,  in  any 
sense,  either  spiritual  or  otherwise." — Tullidge  and  Crandel, 
p.  793. 

George  Q.  Cannon,  in  a  sermon  June  11,  1871,  Journal  of 
Discourses,  vol.  14,  pp.  165,  166,  says:  "A  prevalent  idea  has 
been  that  this  prejudice  against  us  owes  its  origin  and  con- 


268  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

tinuation  to  our  belief  in  a  plurality  of  wives;  .  .  .  Joseph 
and  Hyrum  Smith  were  slain  in  Carthage  jail,  and  hundreds 
of  persons  were  persecuted  to  death  previous  to  the  church 
having  any  knowledge  of  this  doctrine." 

Elder  John  Taylor  said  in  a  discussion  in  Boulogne-sur-mer, 
France,  in  1850,  as  follows:  "We  are  accused  here  of 
polygamy,  and  actions  the  most  indelicate,  obscene,  and  dis- 
gusting, such  that  none  but  a  corrupt  and  depraved  heart 
could  have  contrived.  These  things  are  too  outrageous  to 
admit  of  belief;  ...  I  shall  content  myself  by  reading  our 
views  of  chastity  and  marriage.  .  .  .  You  both  mutually 
agVee  to  be  each  other's  companion,  husband  and  wife,  observ- 
ing the  legal  rights  belonging  to  this  condition;  that  is,  keep- 
ing yourselves  wholly  for  each  other,  and  from  all  others 
during  your  lives." — Orson  Pratt's  Works,  p.  8  of  discussion. 

Elder  John  Taylor  says:  "The  Latter  Day  Saints  are 
charged  by  their  enemies  with  the  blackest  crimes.  Treason, 
murder,  theft,  polygamy,  and  adultery,  are  among  the  many 
crimes  laid  to  their  charge.  .  .  .  Most  of  these  stories  against 
the  Mormons  have  been  propagated  by  apostates  and  traitors, 
(who  have  generally  been  cut  off  from  the  church  for  their 
crimes).  They  publish  their  lies  and  straightway  they  are 
believed,  and  hawked  about  as  awful  disclosures*  and  re- 
ceived by  community  with  trembling  and  holy  horror.  Sidney 
Rigdon,  I  see  by  the  papers,  has  made  an  exposition  of 
Mormonism,  charging  Joseph  Smith  and  the  Mormons  with 
polygamy,  etc.  It  does  not  require  a  very  sagacious  mind  to 
fathom  Mr.  Rigdon's  motive  for  so  doing.  .  .  .  Mr.  Rigdon's 
spiritual  wife  system  was  never  known  till  it  was  hatched  by 
John  C.  Bennett  who  was  cut  off  from  the  church  for  seduc- 
tion. As  to  the  charge  of  polygamy  I  will  quote  from  the 
Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants  which  is  the  subscribed 
faith  of  the  church  and  is  strictly  enforced,  article  on  mar- 
riage, section  91,  paragraph  4."  (This  can  be  read  from  the 
book.)  Quoted  from  the  Times  and  Seasons,  vol.  6,  p.  893, 
May  1,  1845.  (Certified  to  by  Bro.  L.  G.  Holloway.) 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  269 

SWORN   TESTIMONY  OF  JOHN  C.  BENNETT. 

"May  19,  1842,  State  of  Illinois,  City  of  Nauvoo,  personally 
appeared  before  me,  Daniel  H..  Wells,  an  alderman  of  said 
city  of  Nauvoo;  John  C.  Bennett,  being  duly  sworn  according 
to  law,  deposed  and  said:  That  he  never  was  taught  anything 
in  the  least  contrary  to  the  strictest  principles  of  the  gospel, 
or  of  virtue,  or  of  the  laws  of  God  or  man,  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, or  upon  any  occasion,  either  directly  or  indi- 
rectly in  word  or  deed  by  Joseph  Smith;  and  that  he  never 
knew  the  said  Smith  to  countenance  any  improper  conduct 
whatever,  either  in  public  or  private;  and  that  he  never  did 
teach  to  me  in  private  that  an  illicit  intercourse  with  females 
was,  under  any  circumstances,  justifiable;  and  that  I  never 
knew  him  so  to  teach  others.  "(Signed) 

"JOHN  C.  BENNETT. 

"Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me,  this  17th  day  of  May, 
1842." — Times  and  Seasons,  vol.  3,  pp.  839-842;  also  appendix 
of  O.  Pratt's  Works. 

John  H.  Carter,  sr.,  being  sworn,  testified:  "Some  of  these 
doctrines  that  were  taught  by  Brigham  Young  were  never 
taught  in  the  original  church  prior  to  1844,  and  if  any  man 
had  taught  them  he  would  have  been  disfellowshiped  from  the 
church  very  quick.  That  is,  up  to  1844,  at  the  time  that 
Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith  were  killed,  the  polygamy  doctrine 
was  never  taught  in  the  church." — Plaintiff's  Abstract,  p.  180. 

John  Taylor,  being  sworn,  testified:  "I  performed  the 
duties  of  teacher  from  the  time  I  went  to  Nauvoo  (1840)  until 
1844.  .  .  .  Joseph  Smith  and  Hyrum  Smith  never  taught 
polygamy,  and  there  was  no  revelations  on  polygamy  or 
celestial  marriage  or  anything  of  the  kind.  The  church  was 
governed  entirely  as  a  monogamy  church  from  1832,  at  the 
time  I  became  connected  with  it,  up  to  the  time  of  Joseph 
Smith's  death."— Ibid.,  pp.  190-192. 

DEFENDANT'S  EVIDENCE. 

Wilford  Woodruff,  president  of  the  Utah  church,  being 
sworn,  testified:  "There  was  no  other  rule  of  marriage 


270  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

acknowledged  by  the  church  except  what  is  found  in  the  Book 
of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  the  1835  edition." — Abstract,  p. 
303. 

Lorenzo  Snow,  president  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the 
Utah  church,  being  sworn,  testified:  "Well,  it  is  a  fact,  that 
the  order  of  marriage  was  changed,  but  whether  that  was  the 
purpose  of  the  substitution  or  not,  I  do  not  know. 

"Q. — The  order  of  marriage  was  changed,  and  the  old 
order  eliminated;  is  not  that  the  fact? 

"A. — Well,  it  was  changed  or  extended.  It  was  changed 
from  the  one  to  the  other/' — Ibid.,  pp.  320,  321. 

Lyman  0.  Littlefield,  president  of  the  seventies  in  the  Utah 
churc-h,  being  sworn,  testified: 

"Q. — Well,  were  you  not  taught  it  (polygamy)  previous  to 
1840? 

"A.' — I  can  not  say;  I  have  told  you  all  I  knew  about  it 
with  reference  to  dates,  and  there  is  no  sense  in  your  asking 
me  these  questions.  I  never  heard  Joseph  Smith  teach  it  or 
preach  it.  I  never  heard  him  say  anything  about  it  person- 
ally or  mention  it." — Ibid.,  p.  328. 

Joseph  C.  Kingsbury  was  sworn  by  affirmation,  testified: 
"I  became  a  member  of  the  church  (1832).  ...  No  one  had 
the  privilege  under  the  laws  of  the  church  up  to  1844,  nor 
under  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  State  up  to 
1844,  to  take  more  wives  than  one.  ...  I  do  not  remember 
hearing  any  minister  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter 
Day  Saints,  prior  to  1844,  in  Nauvoo  or  any  other  place, 
preach  or  teach  the  doctrine  of  polygamy." — Ibid.,  p.  338. 

Bathsheba  Smith,  being  sworn,  testified:  "I  never  heard 
Joseph  Smith  teach  polygamy,  nor  did  I  ever  hear  him  say 
anything  about  it,  either  publicly  or  privately." — Ibid.,  p.  361. 

Cyrus  H.  Whelock,  being  sworn,  testified:  "I  never  heard 
Joseph  Smith  teach  the  practice  of  polygamy  from  the  stand; 
never  heard  any  elder  of  the  church  preach  it  publicly  from 
the  stand  in  Nauvoo,  until  after  the  death  of  Joseph  Smith. 
After  Joseph  Smith  was  dead  I  heard  polygamy  preached 
from  the  pulpit  publicly  in  Nauvoo,  by  William  Smith.  He 
started  a  great  many  things;  undertook  to  prove  that  po- 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  271 

lygamy  was  right,  and  that  that  order  of  marriage  would  be 
restored,  and  he  preached  so  many  strange  things  there  to 
the  people  that  Elder  John  Taylor  got  up  and  corrected  him. 
.  .  .  Yes,  sir,  it  was  forbidden,  and  William  Smith  was  cut 
off  from  the  church  because  he  preached  that.  That  was  in 
the  winter  of  1844.  .  .  .  The  law  of  the  church  when  I  be- 
came a  member  (1839)  did  not  teach  polygamy.  It  was  that 
one  man  should  have  but  one  wife,  and  one  woman  but  one 
husband.  .  .  .  Anybody  was  liable  to  be  excommunicated  or 
disfellowshiped  from  the  church  who  attempted  to  teach  the 
doctrine  of  plural  marriage  at  that  time,  up  to  the  death  of 
Joseph  Smith."— Ibid.,  pp.  384-386. 

Samuel  W.  Richards,  being  sworn,  testified:  "I  do  not 
know  anything  about  the  principles  of  plural  marriage,  or 
what  is  commonly  called  polygamy,  before  the  death  of  Joseph 
Smith,  only  what  was  reported  to  me  by  other  persons.  .  .  . 
Yes,  sir,  I  knew  all  the  time  I  was  there  in  Nauvoo,  from 
1842  down  to  the  death  of  Joseph  Smith  in  1844,  that  there 
was  no  other  system  of  marriage  taught  or  practiced  by  the 
church  than  that  of  monogamy."— Ibid.,  390-392. 

Jason  W.  Briggs,  being  sworn,  testified:  "The  doctrine  of 
the  original  church  from  the  time  it  was  established  up  to 
1844,  when  Joseph  Smith  was  killed,  was  that  one  man  should 
have  one  wife,  and  one  woman  one  husband.  It  was  the  one 
wife  doctrine  at  that  time." — Ibid.,  p.  400. 

John  Taylor,  editor  of  the  Times  and  Seasons,  November 
15,  1844,  says:  "For  the  communication  of  an  'Old  Man  of 
Israel,'  and  the  letter  of  Elder  Addison  Pratt  from  the 
islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  we  bespeak  a  hearty  welcome. 
They  are  genuine." — Times  and  Seasons,  vol.  5,  p.  711. 

"AN  OLD  MAN  OF  ISRAEL. 

"The  Saints  of  the  last  days  have  witnessed  the  outgoings 
of  so  many  apostates  that  nothing  but  truth  has  any  effect 
upon  them.  In  the  present  instance,  after  the  sham  quota- 
tions of  Sidney  and  his  clique,  from  the  Bible,  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, and  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  to  skulk  off,  under  the 
'dreadful  splendor'  of  'spiritual  wifery,'  which  is  brought  into 


272  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

the  account  as  graciously  as  if  the  law  of  the  land  allowed 
a  man  a  plurality  of  wives,  is  fiendish,  and  like  the  rest  of 
Sidney's  revelation,  just  because  he  wanted  'to  go  to  Pitts- 
burg  and  live.'  Woe  to  the  man  or  men  who  will  thus  will- 
fully lie  to  injure  an  innocent  people!" — Times  and  Seasons, 
vol.  5,  p.  715. 

Hyrum  Smith  said  March  15,  1844:  "//  any  man  write  to 
you,  or  preaches  to  you,  doctrines  contrary  to  the  Bible,  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  or  the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  set 
him  down  as  an  impostor.  You  need  not  all  write  to  us  to 
know  what  you  are  to  do  with  such  men;  you  have  the  au- 
thority with  you,  try  them  by  the  principles  contained  in  the 
acknowledged  word  of  God.  If1  they  preach,  or  teach,  or  prac- 
tice contrary  to  that,  dis  fellow  ship  them;  cut  them  off  from 
among  you  as  useless  and  dangerous  branches" — Times  and 
Seasons,  vol.  5,  p.  490. 

POLYGAMY  NOT  PERMISSIBLE   UNDER  THE  STATE 
LAW  OF  ILLINOIS. 

G.  V.  Waite  says  the  following  enactment  was  passed  by 
the  legislature  February  12,  1833: 

"Section  121.  Bigamy  consists  in  the  having  of  two  wives 
or  two  husbands  at  one  and  the  same  time,  knowing  that  the 
former  husband  or  wife  is  still  alive.  If  any  person  or  per- 
sons within  this  State  (Illinois),  being  married,  or  who  shall 
hereafter  marry,  do  at  any  time  marry  any  person  or  per- 
sons, the  former  husband  or  wife  being  alive,  the  person  so 
offending,  shall,  on  conviction  thereof,  be  punished  by  a  fine 
not  exceeding  one  thousand  dollars,  and  imprisoment  in  the 
penitentiary  not  exceeding  two  years. 

"Section  122.  If  any  man  or  woman,  being  unmarried, 
shall  knowingly  marry  the  husband  or  wife  of  another,  such 
man  or  woman  shall,  on  conviction,  be  fined  not  more  than 
five  hundred  dollars  or  imprisoned  not  more  than  one  year." 
— The  Mormon  Prophet,  pp.  231,  232. 

Campbellites'  confession  of  the  faith  of  the  early  Saints  in 
Ohio:  "Let  us  not  fail  to  remember,  however,  that  Mor- 
monism  in  northern  Ohio,  in  1831,  was  a  very  different  thing 


»  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  273 

from  Mormonism  in  Utah,  in  1870." — Hayden's  History,  p.  252. 

Elder  P.  P.  Pratt  said:  "But  for  the  information  of  those 
who  may  be  assailed  by  those  foolish  tales  about  the  two  wives, 
we  would  say  that  no  such  principle  ever  existed  among  the 
Latter  Day  Saints,  and  never  will;  this  is  well  known  to  all 
who  are  acquainted  with  our  books  and  actions,  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  Doctrine  and  Covenants;  and  also  all  our  periodicals 
are  very  strict  and  explicit  on  that  subject,  indeed  far  more 
so  than  the  Bible." — Millennial  Star,  vol.  3,  p.  74. 

Question:  When  was  the  truth  told?  Read  the  testimonies 
of  these  earnest  workers  in  the  day  of  their  fidelity;  and  then 
later,  and  there  is  but  one  conclusion — apostasy. 

SPEECH  OF  SENATOR  J.  C.  BURROWS. 

'The  regular  and  legitimate  Mormon  Church  had  its  origin 
in  and  grew  out  of  an  alleged  discovery  of  some  metallic 
plates,  said  to  have  been  found  near  Palmyra,  New  York,  by 
one  Joseph  Smith,  bearing  certain  inscriptions  which  were 
said  to  have  been  translated  by  him  and  embodied  in  what  is 
known  and  accepted  as  the  'Book  of  Mormon,'  belief  in  which 
formed,  in  1830,  the  basis  of  an  organization  styling  itself 
'The  Church  of  Latter  Day  Saints,'  which  for  fifteen  years 
increased  in  membership  and  extended  its  influence,  until  in 
1844  it  numbered  about  fifty  thousand  adherents.  On  the 
27th  day  of  June,  1844,  Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of  this 
cult,  while  confined  in  jail  at  Carthage,  Illinois,  was  set  upon 
by  a  mob  and  killed. 

"With  the  details  of  the  early  history  of  this  people,  from 
1830  to  1844,  and  their  tenets  we  have  nothing  to  do.  It  is 
sufficient  for  the  purpose  of  this  discussion  to  state  that 
previous  to  the  death  of  the  prophet  there  were  no  dissen- 
sions in  the  organization  so  far  as  known,  all  subscribing  to 
a  common  creed  and  holding  a  common  faith.  Judge  Phillips, 
in  the  Circuit  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Western  Dis- 
trict of  Missouri,  in  delivering  the  opinion  of  that  court  in 
1894  in  what  is  known  as  the  'Temple  Lot  Cases'  involving  the 
title  to  certain  real  estate,  said : 

"  'Beyond  all  cavil,  if  human  testimony  is  to  place  any  mat- 


274  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

ter  at  rest,  this  church  was  one  in  doctrine,  government,  and 
purpose  from  1830  to  June,  1844,  when  Joseph  Smith,  its 
founder,  was  killed.  It  had  the  same  federal  head,  governing 
bodies,  and  faith.  During  this  period  there  was  no  schism,  no 
dissensions,  no  parting  of  the  ways  in  any  matter  funda- 
mental or  affecting  its  oneness.' 

"The  death  of  Joseph  Smith  in  1844,  however,  carried  dis- 
may and  demoralization  throughout  the  entire  membership 
of  the  Mormon  church,  scattering  its  adherents  in  divers 
directions  and  for  the  time  being  seemed  to  presage  the  com- 
plete overthrow  and  dissolution  of  the  organization.  Recov- 
ering, however,  from  the  shock,  the  scattered  bands  soon  re- 
appeared in  various  parts  of  the  country  and  promulgated 
their  doctrines  with  increased  zeal,  and  set  to  work  to  reas- 
semble and  reorganize  their  scattered  forces,  resulting  finally 
in  the  formation  of  what  is  now  known  and  recognized  as  the 
'Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,' 
with  headquarters  at  Lamoni,  Iowa,  and  presided  over  by 
Joseph  Smith,  a  son  of  the  prophet.  The  courts  have  re- 
peatedly declared  this  organization  to  be  the  legitimate  suc- 
cessor of  the  original  Mormon  church,  and  its  adherents, 
numbering  some  fifty  thousand  peaceable,  patriotic,  and  law- 
abiding  citizens  scattered  throughout  the  United  States  in 
small  church  societies,  conforming  to  the  laws  of  their  coun- 
try wherever  they  may  be  and  adhering  to  the  faith  of  the 
founder  of  their  creed,  repudiating  and  denouncing  the  doc- 
trine of  polygamy  and  its  attendant  crimes,  without  temple, 
endowment  house,  or  secret  order,  worship  in  the  open  like 
other  church  organizations,  unquestioned  and  unmolested. 

"During  this  period  of  disintegration  one  Brigham  Young, 
who  had  identified  himself  with  the  Mormon  organization  as 
early  as  1832,  a  man  of  indomitable  will  and  undaunted 
courage,  bold  and  unscrupulous,  seized  upon  the  occasion  of 
the  demoralization  incident  to  the  death  of  the  prophet  to 
place  himself  at  the  head  of  some  five  thousand  Mormons, 
rnd  marching  over  desert  and  mountain,  established  himself 
with  his  adherents  in  the  valley  of  Salt  Lake,  July  24,  1847, 
then  Mexican  territory,  where  he  undoubtedly  indulged  the 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  275 

hope  that  the  new  doctrine  of  polygamy  about  to  be  publicly 
proclaimed  by  him  might  be  promulgated  with  impunity  and 
practiced  and  maintained  without  interference  by  the  United 
States.  These  hopes,  however,  were  destined  to  be  blasted, 
for  by  the  treaty  of  Guadalupe-Hidalgo  of  February  2,  1848, 
this  territory  passed  from  the  jurisdiction  of  Mexico  to  the 
sovereignty  of  the  United  States,  and  its  inhabitants  there- 
upon became  amenable  to  its  laws. 

"Upon  this  transfer  of  sovereignty,  and  in  1849,  Brigham 
Young  and  his  followers,  without  authority  from  any  source 
whatever,  proceeded  to  set  up  a  government  of  their  own, 
embracing  a  territory  of  imperial  dimensions,  christening  it 
the  "State  of  Deseret,"  electing  Brigham  Young,  the  head  of 
the  church,  governor;  Heber  C.  Kimball,  an  apostle,  lieu- 
tenant-governor, and  filling  all  other  official  positions  in  the 
proposed  state  with  their  trusted  adherents.  At  the  same 
time  a  general  assembly  was  chosen,  which  in  1849  petitioned 
Congress  to  admit  the  State  of  Deseret  into  the  Union,  and 
commissioned  a  delegate  to  the  lower  House  of  Congress,  who 
subsequently  presented  his  credentials  and  the  memorial  pray- 
ing for  statehood. 

"Shortly  previous  to  this  time  it  began  to  be  bruited  that 
the  leaders  of  this  organization  and  founders  of  the  new 
state  were  fugitives  from  justice  and  apostates  from  the  true 
Mormon  faith  and  were  living  in  polygamy;  and  it  is  an 
historic  fact  that  when  Brigham  Young  arrived  in  Salt  Lake, 
in  1847,  he  had  seventeen  wives,  and  all  the  so-called  apostles, 
twelve  in  number,  except  possibly  one,  from  two  to  twenty 
wives  each.  This  rumor  gained  credence  and  confirmation  by 
a  protest  against  the  admission  of  the  State  of  Deseret  sent 
to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  December  31,  1849, 
and  now  on  file  in  its  archives,  from  which  I  make  the  fol- 
lowing extracts: 

"  'Your  petitioners  respectfully  represent  that  whereas  ef- 
forts are  now  being  made  by  the  Salt  Lake  Miormons  to 
obtain,  by  false  representations  and  fallacious  presentations, 
from  the  Government  of  the  United  States  a  state  organiza- 
tion to  be  called  the  State  of  Deseret ;  and  whereas  we  believe 


276  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

that  it  would  be  highly  detrimental  to  the  best  interests  of  our 
country  to  comply  with  their  request,  we  do  therefore  respect- 
fully petition  your  honorable  body  to  provide  some  other  way 
for  the  government  of  the  Salt  Lake  settlement.  Your  peti- 
tioners know  most  assuredly  that  Salt  Lake  Mormonism  is 
diametrically  in  opposition  to  the  pure  principles  of  virtue, 
liberty,  and  equality,  and  that  the  rulers  of  the  Salt  Lake 
church  are  bitter  and  inveterate  enemies  of  our  Government. 
They  entertain  treasonable  designs  against  the  liberties  of 
American  freeborn  sons  and  daughters.  .  .  .  They  have  elected 
Brigham  Young,  who  is  the  president  of  their  church,  to  be 
the  governor  of  the  proposed  State  of  Deseret.  Their  intention 
is  to  unite  church  and  state.  .  .  .  We  have  authentic  informa- 
tion that  more  than  fifteen  hundred  Salt  Lake  Mormons  took 
the  following  oath  in  the  Temple  of  God  at  Nauvoo:  "You 
do  solemnly  swear,  in  the  presence  of  almighty  God,  his  holy 
angels,  and  these  witnesses,  that  you  will  avenge  the  blood  of 
Joseph  Smith  on  this  nation,  and  teach  your  children,  and  that 
you  will  from  this  time  henceforth  and  for  ever  begin  and 
carry  out  hostilities  against  this  nation,  and  to  keep  the  same 
intent  a  profound  secret  now  and  for  ever.  So  help  me  God." 
"  'The  rulers  of  the  Salt  Lake  church  hypocritically  pretend 
to  venerate  the  name  and  character  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  that  they  may  retain  their  popularity  among  that 
people  who  believe  that  he  was  a  true  prophet.  These  rulers 
are  apostates  from  the  true  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter 
Day  Saints,  which  church  Joseph  Smith  was  president  of. 
They  teach  and  practice  polygamy.  .  .  .  Surely  your  honorable 
body  will  not  lend  your  aid  to  legalize  adultery  and  all  man- 
ner of  wickedness.  These  men  have  left  their  country  for 
their  country's  good.  They  have  left  it  that  they  might 
escape  the  punishment  which  their  crimes  have  invoked.  .  .  . 
They  have  been  guilty  of  murders,  treason,  robbery,  counter- 
feiting, swindling,  blasphemy,  and  usurpation  of  power,  both 
political  and  ecclesiastical.  This  is  the  character  of  the  man 
who  is  the  political  and  ecclesiastical  governor  of  the  Salt 
Lake  colony.  The  Salt  Lake  settlement  is  like  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah.  Save  the  rising  generation  of  that  land  from 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  277 

being  trained  up  in  such  a  sink  of  corruption,  blasphemy,  and 
treason.' 

"The  practice  of  polygamy  by  this  band  of  apostate  Mor- 
mons received  further  confirmation  in  the  official  report  of  the 
Indian  agent  for  the  Territory  of  Utah,  dated  March  29,  1852, 
in  which  it  was  stated: 

"  'Among  these  men  (speaking  of  the  Mormons)  was  Wil- 
lard  Richards,  who  kept  a  harem  of  some  dozen  or  fifteen 
women,  to  all  of  whom  he  is  wedded.  He  is  acting  secretary 
of  state  and  postmaster  of  the  city.' 

"Upon  the  presentation  of  the  remonstrance  referred  to, 
the  National  House  of  Representatives  declined  to  consider 
the  petition  for  the  admission  of  the  'State  of  Deseret'  into 
the  Union,  or  receive  its  representative,  but  in  lieu  thereof 
and  on  the  7th  day  of  September,  1850,  Congress  passed  an 
act  providing  for  the  organization  and  government  of  the 
Territory  of  Utah.  In  1850  President  Fillmore  appointed 
Brigham  Young  governor  of  the  Territory  for  the  term  of 
four  years,  who  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  office  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1851,  and  thus  the  chief  polygamous  saint  and  head  of 
the  church  became  the  chief  executive  of  the  Territory.  These 
public  and  official  declarations  confirmatory  of  the  rumors 
of  the  practice  of  polygamy  by  Brigham  Young  and  his  apos- 
tles, made  further  concealment  of  their  crime  impossible,  and 
it  becam.e  necessary  in  some  way  to  excuse  or  justify  so  fla- 
grant an  assault  upon  public  decency  and  the  civilization  of 
the  age. 

"To  that  end  a  special  conference  of  the  sect  was  called  to 
convene  at  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  28th  day  of  August,  1852, 
over  which  Brigham  Young  presided,  attended  by  the  so-called 
apostles  and  high  officials  of  the  church  to  the  number  of 
over  two  thousand,  at  which  conference,  for  the  first  time, 
the  doctrine  of  polygamy  was  publicly  proclaimed  and  d^- 
clared  to  be  an  accepted  tenet  of  the  Utah  Mormon  faith. 
Preliminary  to  its  formal  promulgation,  and  to  promote  its 
reception  by  the  followers  of  Brigham  Young,  it  was  deemed 
expedient  that  some  of  the  high  dignitaries  who  were  associ- 
ated with  him  should  bear  testimony  to  the  saintly  character 


278  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

of  their  master  and  the  divine  origin  of  the  nefarious  doctrine. 
To  this  end  Heber  C.  Kimball,  one  of  the  First  Presidency 
and  a  polygamist,  in  calling  the  meeting  to  order,  took  occa- 
sion to  say: 

"  'Brother  Brigham  Young  is  the  successor  of  Joseph  Smith 
and  a  better  man  never  lived  upon  the  earth,  nor  ever  sought 
the  interest  of  this  people  more  fervently.' 

"Elder  Benson,  another  polygamist,  joined  in  -the  laudation 
by  saying: 

"  'I  know  that  the  principles  that  have  been  taught  by  the 
prophet  Joseph  and  Brothers  Brigham,  Heber,  and  Willard'— 

"Composing  the   First   Presidency — 

"  'and  by  every  other  good  man  in  this  church  are  correct 
principles,  and  that  these  men  have  been  borne  on  trium- 
phantly over  every  trial  and  difficulty  they  have  been  called 
to  pass  through.  The  elders,  therefore,  can  go  to  the  nations 
with  their  consciences  as  clean  as  drifting  snow,  and  with  the 
satisfaction  that  all  is  right  in  Zion  and  we  are  led  by  the 
best  men  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  I  am  glad  in  my  heart, 
and  I  say,  God  bless  Brigham,  Heber,  and  Willard.  They  are 
the  counsel  of  heaven  to  this  people,  and  I  mean  to  honor 
them  in  the  earth  wherever  I  go,  and  I  would  preach  down 
in  the  bowels  of  hell  the  same  as  I  do  here  and  not  be  ashamed 
of  it.' 

"Pandemonium  would  be  a  fit  place  for  its  promulgation. 

"  'My  story  all  the  time  is,  Hurrah  for  Mormonism.  ...  I 
only  throw  out  these  few  hints  that  you  may  be  prepared  to 
act  when  you  receive  the  proper  instructions  from  your  presi- 
dent.' 

"Then  came  Orson  Pratt,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  famous 
of  the  apostles  and  the  husband  of  three  wives,  who  publicly 
declared : 

"  'It  is  quite  unexpected  to  me  to  be  called  upon  to  address 
you  on  the  subject  of  the  plurality  of  wives.  It  is  rather  new 
ground  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States,  and  not  only 
to  them,  but  a  portion  of  the  inhabitants  of  Europe.  A  portion 
of  them  have  not  been  in  the  habit  of  preaching  a  doctrine  of 
this  description:  consequently  we  will  have  to  break  up  new 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  279 

ground.  It  is  well  known,  however,  to  the  congregation  before 
me  that  the  Latter  Day  Saints  have  embraced  the  doctrine 
of  the  plurality  of  wives  as  a  part  of  their  religious  faith.' 

"In  order  to  induce  his  followers  more  readily  to  accept 
this  infamous  doctrine,  Brigham  Young  himself  invoked  the 
name  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  Martyr,  whom  many  sincerely  be- 
lieved to  be  a  true  prophet,  and  ascribed  to  him  the  reception 
of  a  revelation  from  the  Almighty  in  1843,  commanding  the 
saints  to  take  unto  themselves  a  multiplicity  of  wives,  limited 
in  number  only  by  the  measures  of  their  desires.  Why  and  how 
this  revelation  had  been  kept  a  secret  for  nine  years  Brigham 
Young  explained  as  follows: 

"  'You  heard  Brother  Pratt  state  this  morning  that  a  reve- 
lation would  be  read  this  afternoon  which  was  given  previous 
to  Joseph's  death.  It  contains  a  doctrine  which  a  small  por- 
tion of  the  world  is  opposed  to.  Though  that  doctrine  has 
not  been  preached  by  the  elders,  this  people  have  believed  in 
it  for  many  years. 

"  'The  original  copy  of  this  revelation  was  burnt  up ;  Wil- 
liam Clayton  was  the  man  who  wrote  it  from  the  mouth  of 
the  prophet.  In  the  meantime  it  was  in  Bishop  Whitney's 
possession.  He  wished  the  privilege  to  copy  it,  which  Brother 
Joseph  granted.  Sister  Emma  burnt  the  original. 

"  'The  revelation  will  be  read  to  you.  The  principle  we 
believe  in.  And  I  tell  you — for  I  know  it — it  will  sail  over 
and  ride  triumphantly  above  all  the  prejudice  and  priestcraft 
of  the  day;  it  will  be  fostered  and  believed  in  by  the  more 
intelligent  portions  of  the  world  as  one  of  the  best  doctrines 
ever  proclaimed  to  any  people.  I  am  now  ready  to  proclaim 
it.  This  revelation  has  been  in  my  possession  many  years 
and  who  has  known  it?  None  but  those  who  should  know  it. 
I  keep  a  patent  lock  on  my  desk,  and  there  does  not  anything 
leak  out  that  should  not.' 

"Such  the  mythical  story  palmed  off  on  a  deluded  people. 
Let  me  now  quote  the  material  part  of  the  pretended  revela- 
tion of  polygamy  as  given  out  by  authority  of  Brigham 
Young  in  1852. 

"  'Verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  his  servant  Joseph:  .  .  . 


280  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

behold  and  lo,  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  .  .  .  therefore  prepare 
thy  heart  to  receive  and  obey  the  instructions  which  I  am 
about  to  give  unto  you,  for  all  those  who  have  this  law  re- 
vealed unto  them  must  obey  the  same,  for  behold,  I  reveal 
unto  you  a  new  and  everlasting  covenant,  and  if  ye  abide  not 
that  covenant,  then  are  ye  damned;  for  no  one  can  reject 
this  covenant  and  be  permitted  to  enter  into  my  glory;  .  .  . 
and  as  pertaining  to  the  new  and  everlasting  covenant,  it  was 
instituted  for  the  fullness  of  my  glory,  and  he  that  receiveth 
a  fullness  thereof  must  and  shall  abide  the  law  or  he  shall 
be  damned,  saith  the  Lord  God.  And  again,  as  pertaining  to 
the  law  of  the  priesthood,  if  any  man  espouse  a  virgin  and 
desire  to  espouse  another,  and  the  first  give  her  consent,  and 
if  he  espouse  the  second,  and  they  are  virgins  and  have  vowed 
to  no  other  man,  then  is  he  justified.  He  can  not  commit 
adultery,  for  they  are  given  unto  him,  for  he  can  not  commit 
adultery  with  that  that  belongs  to  him  and  to  none  else;  and 
if  he  have  ten  virgins  given  unto  him  by  this  law  he  can 
not  commit  adultery,  for  they  belong  unto  him  and  are  given 
unto  him;  therefore  is  he  justified.' 

"Thus  did  Brigham  Young  and  his  associates  attempt  to 
explain  and  justify  a  practice  revolting  to  every  sense  of 
public  decency,  subversive  of  the  home,  and  destructive  of  the 
very  foundations  of  society.  Thus  were  laid  with  unholy  hands 
what  Brigham  Young  was  pleased  to  call  the  foundations  of 
'Zion,'  upon  which  it  was  proposed  to  erect  'the  kingdom  of 
God  on  earth.'  But  a  doctrine  so  monstrous  needed  something 
more  than  the  unsupported  testimony  of  Brigham  Young  to  in- 
sure its  reception  and  give  it  credence,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
it  had  no  warrant  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  was  specially 
condemned  in  the  book  of  'Doctrine  and  Covenants,'  wherein 
it  is  declared  'One  man  should  have  one  wife,  and  one  woman 
but  one  husband.'  To  give  this  creed  the  semblance  of  author- 
ity and  insure  its  permanency  as  an  article  of  this  Utah  Mor- 
mon faith  the  doctrine  of  monogamy  was  torn  from  the  book 
of  'Doctrines  and  Covenants,'  and  the  doctrine  of  polygamy 
inserted  in  its  stead,  where  it  is  still  retained  as  a  cardinal 
principle  of  the  Utah  Mormon  faith.  In  this  way  was  the 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  281 

practice  of  polygamy  inaugurated  in  the  Territory  of  Utah 
and  fostered  and  encouraged  by  the  leaders  of  this  sect." — 
Congressional  Record  for  December  13,  1906. 

SPEECH    OF    HONORABLE    FRED    T.    DUBOIS. 

(Senator  Dubois  was  also  a  member  of  the  Committee  on 
Privileges  and  Elections,  and  this  speech  was  delivered  De- 
cember 13,  1906,  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  published 
in  the  Congressional  Record  for  December  17,  1906.) 

"It  is  only  fair,  I  think,  for  me  to  say — and  I  am  glad  the 
distinguished  Senator  from  Michigan  [Mr.  Burrows]  treated 
upon  it  the  other  day — that  there  is  a  branch  of  the  Mormons, 
called  the  'Josephites/  who  ought  to  be  separated  clearly  in 
the  minds  of  all  the  Senators  from  the  Brighamite  Mormons. 
The  Josephites  claim  that  they  are  the  custodians  of  the 
church  as  it  was  founded.  They  claim  that^Brigham  Young 
has  interjected  doctrines  into  the  church  which  the  Mormons 
did  not  accept  in  the  beginning.  At  any  rate,  however  that 
may  be,  the  Josephite  Mormons,  with  their  headquarters  at 
Lamoni,  in  the  State  of  Iowa,  and  wherever  they  are,  no  mat- 
ter in  what  part  of  the  country,  are  among  the  best  of  our 
citizens  in  all  respects.  They  do  not  believe  in  polygamy; 
they  never  practiced  polygamy.  They  discountenanced  it. 
They  do  not  believe  in  church  dictation  in  political  affairs. 
They  are  the  same  as  other  church  organizations,  and  to  their 
religion  no  one  has  any  objection.  I  am  glad  to  call  the  atten- 
tion of  Senators  to  it,  so  that  in  the  future  we  may  not  con- 
fuse the  Josephite  with  the  Brighamite  Mormons." 

ADAM,  OUR   FATHER  AND   GOD. 

Brigham  Young  said:  "One  thing  has  remained  a  mystery 
in  this  kingdom  up  to  this  day.  It  is  in  regard  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  well-beloved  Son  of  God.  Now  hear  it,  0  inhabi- 
tants of  the  earth,  Jew  and  Gentile,  Saint  and  sinner!  When 
our  father  Adam  came  into  the  garden  of  Eden,  he  came 
into  it  with  a  celestial  body,  and  brought  Eve,  one  of  his 
wives,  with  him.  ...  HE  is  our  FATHER  and  our  GOD,  and  the 


232  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

only  God  with  whom  WE  have  to  do.  Every  man  upon  the 
earth,  professing  Christians  or  non-professing,  must  hear  it, 
and  will  know  it  sooner  or  later.  .  .  .  When  the  Virgin  Mary 
conceived  the  child  Jesus,  the  Father  had  begotten  him  in 
his  own  likeness.  He  was  not  begotten  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
And  who  is  the  Father? 

He  is  the  first  of  the  human  family  (Adam)  ;  and  when  he 
took  a  tabernacle,  it  was  begotten  by  his  Father  in  heaven, 
after  the  same  manner  as  the  tabernacles  of  Cain,  Abel,  and 
the  rest  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Adam  and  Eve;  from 
the  fruits  of  the  earth,  the  first  earthly  tabernacles  were 
originated  by  the  Father,  and  so  on  in  succession.  .  .  .  Now, 
remember  from  this  time  forth,  and  for  ever,  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  not  begotten  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  I  will  repeat  a 
little  anecdote.  I  was  in  conversation  with  a  certain  learned 
professor  upon  the  subject,  when  I  replied,  to  this  idea — 'if  the 
Son  was  begotten  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  would  be  very 
dangerous  to  baptize  and  confirm  females,  and  give  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  them,  lest  he  should  beget  children,  to  be  palmed 
upon  the  elders  by  the  people,  bringing  the  elders  into  great 
difficulties." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  pp.  50,  51. 

0.  Pratt  says:  "If  one  God  can  propagate  his  species,  and 
raise  up  spirits  after  his  own  image  and  likeness,  and  call 
them  his  sons  and  daughters,  so  can  all  other  gods  that  become 
like  him,  do  the  same  thing;  consequently,  there  will  be 
many  fathers,  and  there  will  be  many  families,  and  many 
sons  and  daughters;  and  they  will  be  children  of  those 
glorified,  celestial  beings  that  are  counted  worthy  to  be  gods." 
— Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  57. 

"The  fleshly  body  of  Jesus  required  a  mother  as  well  as  a 
father.  Therefore,  the  father  and  mother  of  Jesus,  according 
to  the  flesh,  must  have  been  associated  together  in  the  capacity 
of  husband  and  wife;  hence  the  Virgin  Mary  must  have  been 
for  the  time  being  the  lawful  wife  of  God  the  Father.  We 
use  the  term  lawful  wife,  because  it  would  be  blasphemous 
in  the  highest  degree  to  say  that  he  overshadowed  her  or 
begat  the  Savior  unlawfully." — Seer,  vol.  1,  no.  1,  pp.  158,  159. 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  283 

THREE  SHORT  TALKS  ON  FINANCE. 

President  Young  said,  December  5,  1853:  "If  an  elder  has 
borrowed  from  you,  and  you  find  that  he  is  going  to  aposta- 
tize, then  you  may  tighten  the  screws  upon  him;  but  if  he 
is  willing  to  preach  the  gospel  without  purse  or  scrip,  it  is 
none  of  your  business  what  he  does  with  the  money  he  has 
borrowed  from  you." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  340. 

President  Young  said,  November  9,  1856:  ''Some  of  the 
elders  seem  to  be  tripped  up  in  a  moment  if  the  wicked 
man  finds  fault  with  the  members  of  this  church;  but  bless 
your  souls,  I  would  not  yet  have  this  people  faultless,  for 
the  day  of  separation  has  not  yet  arrived.  I  have  many  a 
time  in  this  stand  dared  the  world  to  produce  as  mean  devils 
as  we  can,  we  can  beat  them  at  anything.  We  have  the 
greatest  and  smoothest  liars  in  the  world,  the  cunningest 
and  most  adroit  thieves,  and  any  other  shade  of  characters 
that  you  can  mention. 

"We  can  pick  out  elders  in  Israel  right  here  who  can  beat 
the  world  at  gambling;  who  can  handle  the  cards;  can  cut 
and  shuffle  them  with  the  smartest  rogue  on  the  face  of 
God's  footstool.  I  can  produce  elders  here  who  can  shave 
their  smartest  shavers,  and  take  their  money  from  them. 
We  can  beat  the  world  at  any  game. 

"We  can  beat  them  because  we  have  men  here  who  live 
in  the  light  of  the  Lord;  that  have  the  holy  priesthood  and 
hold  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  But  you  may  go 
through  all  the  sectarian  world  and  you  can  not  find  a  man 
capable  of  opening  the  door  of  the  kingdom  of  God  to  admit 
others  in.  We  can  do  that.  We  can  pray  the  best,  preach 
the  best  and  sing  the  best.  We  are  the  best  looking  and  finest 
set  of  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth;  and  they  may  begin 
any  game  they  please,  and  we  are  on  hand  and  can  beat  them 
at  anything  they  have  a  mind  to  begin.  They  may  make 
sharp  their  two-edged  swords,  and  I  will  turn  out  the  elders 
of  Israel  with  greased  feathers,  and  whip  them  to  death. 
We  are  not  to  be  beat.  We  expect  to  be  a  stumbling-block 


284  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

to  the  whole  world,  and  a  rock  of  offense  to  them." — Journal 
of  Discourses,  vol.  4.  p.  77. 

President  Heber  C.  Kimball  said,  July  19,  1854:  "It  is 
believed  in  the  world  that  our  females  are  all  common  women. 
Well,  in  one  sense  they  are  common — that  is,  they  are  like 
all  other  women,  I  suppose,  but  they  are  not  unclean,  for 
we  wipe  all  unclean  ones  from  our  midst;  we  not  only  wipe 
them  from  our  streets,  but  we  wipe  them  out  of  existence. 
And  if  the  world  want  to  practice  uncleanness,  and  bring 
their  prostitutes  here,  if  they  do  not  repent,  and  forsake 
such  sins,  we  will  wipe  the  evil  out.  We  will  not  have  them 
in  this  valley,  unless  they  repent;  for  so  help  me  God,  while 
I  live  I  will  lend  my  hand  to  wipe  such  persons  out,  and  I 
know  this  people  will." — Deseret  News,  August  17,  1854,  and 
Millennial  Star,  vol.  16,  p.  739. 

BLOOD   ATONEMENT. 

Brigham  Young  said,  October  9,  1852:  "What  shall  be 
done  with  sheep  that  stink  the  flock  so?-  We  will  take  them, 
I  was  going  to  say,  and  cut  off  their  tails  two  inches  behind 
their  ears;  however  I  will  use  a  milder  term,  and  say,  cut 
off  their  ears." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  213. 

Brigham  said  again,  March  27,  1853:  "I  say,  rather  than 
that  apostates  should  flourish  here,  I  will  unsheath  my  bowie 
knife,  and  conquer  or  die.  [Great  commotion  in  the  congrega- 
tion, and  a  simultaneous  burst  of  feeling,  assenting  to  the 
declaration.]  Now,  you  nasty  apostates,  clear  out,  or  judg- 
ment will  be  put  to  the  line,  and  righteousness  to  the  plummet. 
[Voices,  generally,  "Go  it,  go  it."]  If  you  say  it  is  right, 
raise  your  hands  [all  hands  up].  Let  us  call  upon  the  Lord 
to  assist  us  in  this,  and  every  good  work." — Journal  of  Dis- 
courses, vol.  1,  p.  83. 

Brigham  Young  said:  "Will  you  love  your  brothers  or 
sisters  likewise  when  they  have  committed  a  sin  that  can  not 
be  atoned  for  without  the  shedding  of  their  blood?  Will 
you  love  that  man  or  woman  well  enough  to  shed  their  blood? 
I  have  seen  scores  and  hundreds  of  people  for  whom  there 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  285 

would  have  been  a  chance  (in  the  last  resurrection  there  will 
be)  if  their  lives  had  been  taken  and  their  blood  spilled  on  the 
ground  as  a  smoking  incense  to  the  Almighty.  I  have  known  a 
great  many  men  who  have  left  this  church,  for  whom  there  is 
no  chance  whatever  for  exaltation :  but  if  their  blood  had  been 
spilled  it  would  have  been  better  for  them.  The  wickedness 
and  ignorance  of  the  nations  forbid  this  principle's  being  in 
full  force,  but  the  time  will  come  when  the  law  of  God 
will  be  in  full  force.  This  is  loving  our  neighbors  as  our- 
selves: if  he  needs  help,  help  him:  and  if  he  wants  salvation 
and  it  is  necessary  to  spill  his  blood  on  the  earth  in  order 
that  he  may  be  saved,  spill  it." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  4, 
p.  220. 

Elder  J.  M.  Grant  says:  "I  say  there  are  men  and  women 
here  that  I  would  advise  to  go  to  the  president  immediately, 
and  ask  him  to  appoint  a  committee  to  attend  to  their  case: 
and  let  a  place  be  selected,  and  let  that  committee  shed  their 
blood." — Deseret  News,  vol.  6,  p.  335,  September  21,  1856. 

SALVATION   DEPENDS   UPON    OBEDIENCE    TO    THE 
PRIESTHOOD,   RIGHT   OR   WRONG. 

Heber  C.  Kimball,  then  of  the  Presidency,  November  8,  1857, 
said:  "In  regard  to  our  situation  and  circumstances  in  these 
valleys,  brethren,  WAKE  UP:  WAKE  UP;  YE  ELDERS 
OF  ISRAEL  AND  LIVE  TO  GOD  and  none  else;  and  learn  to 
do  as  you  are  told,  both  old  and  young;  learn  to  do  as  you  are 
told  for  the  future.  And  when  you  are  taking  a  position,  if 
you  do  not  know  that  you  are  right,  do  not  take  it — I  mean 
independently." 

But  if  you  are  told  by  your  leaders  to  do  a  thing,  do  it, 
None  of  your  business  whether  it  is  right  or  wrong.  Well,  now, 
if  you  will  do  just  as  you  are  told,  you  will  increase  in  knowl- 
edge ten  thousand  times  faster  than  you  will  to  pray  six 
hours,  and  if  you  follow  that  course,  you  will  not  advance  in 
your  religion  one  hundredth  part  so  much  as  that  man  that 
will  do  just  as  he  is  told  no  matter  what.  Brother  Brigham  is 
my  leader;  he  is  my  prophet,  my  seer  and  my  revelator;  and 


286  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

whatever  he  says,  that  is  for  me  to  do;  and  it  is  not  for  me 
to  question  him  one  word,  nor  to  question  God  a  minute.  Do 
you  not  see?  You  and  I  want  to  live  our  religion  and  do  as 
we  are  told,  not  questioning  a  word  for  a  moment.  You  have 
got  to  stop  that.  It  is  enough  for  others  to  do  that,  without 
our  meddling  with  those  things." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol. 
6,  pp.  32-34. 

Again  he  said  in  the  Salt  Lake  City  Tabernacle,  March  1, 
1857:  "How  can  you  become  impregnated  with  the  Spirit 
and  power  of  God,  except  you  become  impregnated  through 
us?  There  is  no  true  path  except  to  do  as  you  are  told  by 
those  whom  the  Lord  has  called  and  chosen,  and  placed  to 
direct  you." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  4,  p.  250. 

June  10,  1855,  he  said:  "When  a  servant  of  God  counsels 
you,  it  is  your  duty  to  hear  and  obey  his  words.  I  am  f^ly 
aware  that  the  world  do  not  like  the  idea  of  one  man  ruling 
this  entire  people  with  his  word,  but  I  would  not  give  one 
farthing  for  this  community  if  they  could  not  be  governed  by 
one  man,  beloved  and  chosen  of  the  Lord.  You  have  no  sal- 
vation only  what  you  get  through  that  source,  and  every 
true-hearted  Latter  Day  Saint  believed  so.  Our  crops  are 
almost  entirely  destroyed  and  what  good  will  that  do?  It 
will  bring  us  into  position  where  we  can  appreciate  the  bless- 
ings of  providence.  Brother  Brigham  says  that  he  does  not 
fear  hell,  nor  the  Devil  if  this  people  will  do  as  they  are  told 
and  listen  to  counsel.  Do  you  suppose  that  the  world  could 
ever  come  through  our  bulwarks,  if  this  people  were  to  obey 
counsel?  No,  they  could  not!" — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol. 
5,  pp.  262,  263. 

On  August  30,  1857,  he  said:  "I  will  ask  you  this  question, 
gentlemen  and  ladies,  Can  you  live  your  religion  except  you 
do  as  you  are  told?  I  have  said  again  and  again,  that  if  we 
live  our  religion  and  do  as  we  are  told  those  men  (Johnson's 
army)  will  never  come  over  those  mountains:  for  we  shall 
slay  the  poor  devils  before  they  get  there.  I  do  not  know 
of  any  religion  except  doing  as  I  am  told:  and  if  you  do, 
you  have  learned  something  that  I  have  never  learned.  You 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  287 

have  a  governor  here  to  dictate  to  you  and  to  tell  you  what 
to  do,  and  if  we  will  live  our  religion  we  are  always  safe,  are 
we  not?" — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  5,  pp.  162,  163. 

Ezra  T.  Benson  said,  July  13,  1855:  "I  think  you  are  pretty 
well  satisfied  in  Provo  with  those  who  are  placed  over  you, 
for  you  know  that  they  are  appointed  by  the  authority  of 
heaven,  and  it  is  the  right  of  those  who  appointed  them  to 
dictate  you  and  all  others;  it  is  therefore  your  duty  to  give 
heed  to  those  placed  over  you  in  authority,  and  if  you  do,  you 
will  enjoy  the  Spirit  of  God  to  a  great  extent,  even  to  your 
heart's  satisfaction.  We  are  called  upon  to  uphold,  by  our 
faith,  works  and  our  prayers,  those  who  are  over  us :  we  have 
raised  our  hands  to  sustain  and  uphold  them,  and  we  will 
turn  round  and  find  fault  with  that  which  we  have  sanc- 
tioned. Can  you  enjoy  the  Spirit  of  God  if  you  do  this?  No, 
in  order  to  enjoy  that  Spirit  you  must  reverence  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  priesthood,  no  matter  who  may  be  in  possession 
of  it." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  3,  p.  63. 

"I  will  give  you  the  pith  of  the  last  orders  issued:  'That 
man  or  family  who  will  not  do  as  they  are  told  in  the  orders, 
are  to  be  treated  as  strangers,  yea,  even  as  enemies,  and  not 
as  friends.'  And  if  there  should  be  a  contest,  if  we  should 
be  called  upon  to  defend  our  lives,  our  liberty,  and  our  pos- 
sessions, we  would  cut  such  off  the  first,  and  walk  over  their 
bodies  to  conquer  the  foe  outside." — BrJgham  Young,  Journal 
of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  167,  July  31,  1853. 

"There  are  sins  that  can  be  atoned  for  by  an  offering  upon 
an  altar,  as  in  ancient  days;  and  there  are  sins  that  the 
blood  of  a  lamb,  of  a  calf,  or  of  a  turtle  dove  can  not  remit; 
but  they  must  be  atoned  for  by  the  blood  of  the  man.  That 
is  the  reason  why  men  talk  to  you  as  they  do  from  this  stand; 
they  understand  the  doctrine  and  through  a  few  words  about 
it,  you  have  been  taught  that  doctrine,  but  you  do  not  under- 
stand it." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol  4,  P-  54. 

"I  do  know  that  there  are  sins  committed,  of  such  a  nature 
that  if  the  people  did  understand  of  salvation,  they  would 
tremble,  because  of  their  situation;  and  furthermore,  I  know 


288  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

that  there  are  transgressors,  who  if  they  knew  themselves,  and 
the  only  condition  upon  which  they  can  obtain  forgiveness, 
would  beg  of  their  brethren  to  shed  their  blood,  that  the  smoke 
thereof  might  ascend  to  God  as  an  offering  to  appease  the 
wrath  that  is  kindled  against  them,  and  that  the  law  might 
have  its  course.  I  will  say  further;  I  have  had  men  come  to 
me  and  offer  their  lives  to  atone  for  their  sins." — Journal  of 
Discourses,  vol.  4,  p.  53. 

J.  M.  Grant  said:  "We  have  those  among  us  that  are  full 
of  all  manner  of  abominations,  those  who  need  to  have  their 
blood  shed,  for  water  will  not  do,  their  sins  are  of  too  deep  a 
dye." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  4,  p.  49. 

Pres.  Joseph  F.  Smith  said:  "The  fact  of  the  matter 
is,  when  a  man  says  you  can  direct  me  spiritually,  but  not 
temporally,  he  lies  in  the  presence  of  God — that  is,  if  he  has 
got  intelligence  enough  to  know  what  he  is  talking  about." — 
Deseret  News  for  April  25,  1896. 

On  October  26,  1905,  he  said:  "In  a  nutshell,  the  philoso- 
phy of  the  Mormon  religion  consists  in  obeying  the  command- 
ments and  living  up  to  the  revelations  of  God  as  revealed  to 
his  chosen  servants  on  earth  in  this  the  last  dispensation  of 
the  fullness  of  times." 

"The  talk  was  purely  doctrinal,"  says  the  Utah  State  Jour- 
nal of  the  27th  of  October,  in  speaking  of  the  effort  of  the 
Editor  News,  "advising  all  to  lead  the  life  laid  down  by  the 
authorities  of  the  church  and  their  teachings." 

Brigham  Young  said,  September  2,  1857:  "You  and  I  may 
be  ready  to  fight;  we  may  be  ready  to  plant  seed,  and  if 
called  upon  to  cache  grain  in  the  mountains  and  to  do  what- 
ever the  Lord  may  require  at  our  hands.  [This  sentence  is 
as  it  is  written,  and  is  copied  correctly:  'To  cache  grain  in 
the  mountains.'  Webster:  'Cache — a  hole  in  the  ground 
or  a  hiding  place  for  concealing  and  preserving  provision 
which  it  is  inconvenient  to  carry.'  At  the  time  this  speech  was 
delivered,  the  people  were  in  great  distress;  the  army  was 
about  to  come  upon  them,  hence  the  saying,  'Be  ready  to 
fight,  to  burn.'  The  people  were  on  hand  to  burn  all  that 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  289 

they  could  not  use  rather  than  let  it  fall  to  the  army.  To 
cache  grain  in  the  mountains,  means  that  they  would  store 
away  provisions  in  the  mountains  that  they  may  not  starve.] 
Let  us  do  whatever  may  be  required.  If  we  are  called  upon 
to  take  our  women  and  children  into  the  mountains,  let  us  do 
that;  if  to  burn,  let  us  be  on  hand  to  burn;  if  to  build  more, 
let  us  do  that,  and  whatever  we  are  required  to  do  let  us  do. 
We  called  up  a  bishop  the  other  night,  to  go  on  an  express; 
and  when  he  came  to  my  office  I  said  to  him,  'Brother  Thomas, 
are  you  ready?'  He  replied,  'Yes.'  Though  he  did  not  know 
what  was  wanted  of  him,  yet  he  was  ready.  He  asked,  'When 
do  you  want  me?'  I  replied,  'Early  to-morrow  morning,'  (now 
yesterday  morning,)  and  he  was  there  at  the  time — which 
is  the  way  that  men  should  feel  and  act." — Journal  of  Dis- 
courses, vol.  5,  pp.  257,  258. 

John  Taylor  said,  September  20,  1857 :  "The  Presbyterians 
used  to  say  that  people  ought  to  thank  God  for  the  privilege 
of  being  damned.  But  I  would  not  thank  anyone  for  being 
damned,  but  I  think,  however,  that  such  men  as  would  not 
submit  to  his  authority  and  rule  ought  to  be  damned,  whether 
they  like  it  or  not.  Nothing  but  obedience  to  his  law,  obedi- 
ence in  families,  obedience  to  bishops  and  to  the  priesthood 
in  all  its  ramifications,  and  especially  to  Pres.  Brigham 
Young  as  the  head,  to  carry  out  his  law  to  the  whole  people, 
can  accomplish  the  purposes  of  God  or  our  salvation  as  a 
people.  .  .  .  What  does  that  obedience  imply?  Obedience  in 
all  things — that  the  Twelve  should  be  obedient  to  the  Presi- 
dency, the  seventy  to  the  Twelve  and  so  on  through  all  the 
ramifications  of  the  priesthood;  obedience  of  wives  to  hus- 
bands, children  to  parents  and  that  a  general  order  of  this 
kind  should  be  established  in  every  neighborhood,  in  every 
house,  and  in  every  heart." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  5,  pp. 
264,  265. 

Wilford  Woodruff  said,  April  9,  1857:  "Now,  whatever  I 
might  have  obtained  in  the  shape  of  learning,  by  searching 
and  study  respecting  the  arts  and  sciences  of  men — whatever 
principles  I  may  have  imbibed  during  my  scientific  researches, 


290  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

yet  if  the  prophet  of  God  should  tell  me  that  a  certain  prin- 
ciple or  theory  which  I  might  have  learned  was  not  true, 
I  do  not  care  what  my  ideas  might  have  been,  I  should  con- 
sider it  my  duty,  at  the  suggestion  of  my  file  leader,  to  aban- 
don that  principle  or  theory.  Supposing  he  were  to  say  the 
principles  by  which  you  are  governed  are  not  right,  that  they 
were  incorrect,  what  would  be  my  duty?  I  answer  that  it 
would  be  my  duty  to  lay  those  principles  aside  and  to  take  up 
those  that  might  be  laid  down  by  the  servants  of  God." — Jour- 
nal of  Discourses,  vol.  5,  p.  83. 

Again,  September  27,  1857:  "You  need  not  fear,  all  we 
have  to  do  is  to  be  passive  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  and  fol- 
low the  counsel  of  our  leaders,  and  not  be  particularly  anxious 
that  the  Lord  should  reveal  to  you  or  to  me  his  mind  and 
will,  and  intentions  concerning  our  present  difficulties:  but 
pray  earnestly  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  may  be  upon  those 
men  who  stand  at  the  head.  All  we  have  to  do  is  to  live  our 
religion,  and  when  the  Presidency  say,  'Come  here,'  or  'Go 
there,'  let  us  be  on  hand  to  obey  and  all  will  be  right."- 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  5,  p.  268. 

Lorenzo  Snow  said:  "When  the  enemy  is  near,  and  when 
the  storm  clouds  arise,  and  the  war  clouds  approach,  even  then 
we  can  feel  free  and  quiet,  and  be  satisfied  that  all  is  right  in 
Israel.  It  is  only  for  us  to  be  ready  to  do  our  duty,  to  serve 
our  president  with  all  our  heart,  with  all  our  might,  with  all 
our  feelings,  with  all  our  property  and  energies,  and  with  all 
things  that  the  Lord  has  put  into  our  hands.  Let  the  power 
that  God  has  put  into  our  hands  be  used;  for  herein  lies  a 
continued  advancement  in  dominion,  in  power  and  in  knowl- 
edge. We  should  be  ready  at  all  times  to  exercise  all  the 
power,  means  and  influence  we  possess  in  the  service  of  our 
God,  and  resignedly  follow  out  the  directions  of  our  presi- 
dent and  those  that  are  appointed  over  us.  Let  us  be  like 
little  children,  ready  and  willing  to  do  as  we  are  commanded 
by  the  powers  that  we  should  obey." — Journal  of  Discourses, 
vol.  5,  p.  314. 

Heber  C.  Kimball  said,  September  6,  1856:     "The  church 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  291 

and  kingdom  to  which  we  belong  will  become  the  kingdom  of 
our  God  and  his  Christ,  and  Bro.  Brigham  Young  will  become 
President  of  the  United  States.  (Voices  responded,  Amen.) 
And  I  tell  you  he  will  be  something  more:  but  we  do  not  now 
want  to  give  him  the  name:  but  he  is  called  and  ordained  to 
a  far  greater  station  than  that,  and  he  is  foreordained  to 
take  that  station,  and  he  has  got  it;  and  I  am  vice-president, 
and  Brother  Wells  is  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  yes,  and 
of  all  the  armies  in  the  flesh.  You  don't  believe  that,  but  I 
can  tell  you  it  is  one  of  the  smallest  things  that  I  can  think  of. 
You  may  think  that  I  am  joking,  but  I  am  perfectly  willing 
that  Brother  Long  should  write  every  word  of  it;  for  I  can 
see  it  just  as  naturally  as  I  see  the  earth  and  the  productions 
thereof." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  5,  p.  219. 

Brigham  Young,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  July  26,  1857:  "May 
the  Almighty  bless  you!  May  the  peace  of  God  be  with  you 
and  upon  your  children  and  your  children's  children  for  ever 
and  ever.  And  may  God  Almighty  curse  our  enemies  (Voices: 
'Amen').  I  feel  to  curse  my  enemies;  and  when  God  won't 
bless  them,  I  do  not  think  he  will  ask  me  to  bless  them.  If  I 
did,  it  would  be  to  put  the  poor  cusses  to  death  who  have 
brought  death  and  destruction  on  me  and  my  brethren — upon 
my  wives  and  my  children  that  I  buried  on  the  road  between 
the  States  and  this  place.  Did  I  ever  wrong  them,  a  man 
or  woman  of  them,  out  of  a  dime?  No;  but  I  have  fed  thou- 
sands where  I  never  received  a  dime.  Poor,  rotten  cusses! 
And  the  President  of  the  United  States,  inasmuch  as  he  has 
turned  against  us  and  will  take  a  course  to  persist  in  pleas- 
ing the  ungodly  cusses  that  are  howling  around  him  for  the 
destruction  of  this  people,  he  shall  be  cursed,  in  the  name  of 
Israel's  God,  and  he  shall  not  rule  over  this  nation,  because 
they  are  my  brethren;  but  they  have  cast  me  out  and  cast  you 
out;  and  I  curse  him  and  all  his  coadjutors  in  his  cursed  deeds 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Holy 
Priesthood;  and  all  Israel  shall  say  amen.  Send  twenty-five 
hundred  troops  here,  our  brethren,  to  make  a  desolation  of 
this  people!  God  Almighty  helping  me,  I  will  fight  until  there 


292  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

is  not  a  drop  of  blood  in  my  veins.  Good  God!  I  have  wives 
enough  to  whip  out  the  United  States;  for  they  will  whip 
themselves.  Amen." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  5,  p.  95. 

Again,  in  April,  1852:  "I  am  the  controller  and  master 
of  affairs  here,  under  heaven's  direction;  though  there  are 
those  who  do  not  believe  this." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1, 
p.  48. 

We,  Elder  E.  C.  Briggs  and  Joseph  B.  Smith,  certify  that 
the  above  quotations  are  a  correct  copy  and  are  as  they  are 
written  in  the  respective  books,  and  all  the  quotations  except 
6,  7,  8,  9,  10,  and  12,  (which  were  copied  by  Elder  Alvin 
Knisley  and  Elder  J.  D.  Stead,)  were  copied  and  proof  read  by 
us  and  we  testify  that  they  are  a  true  verbatim  copy. 
(Signed) 

JOSEPH  B.  SMITH. 
E.  C.  BRIGGS. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this  31st  day  of  October, 
1907.  JUNIUS  B.  SMITH, 

Notary  Public. 

My  commission  expires  October  3,  1908. 
[SEAL] 

JOSEPH  SMITH  SUCCESSOR  OF  HIS  FATHER  BY 
DIVINE  APPOINTMENT. 

Joseph  Smith  being  sworn  testified :  "I  remember  my  father 
laying  his  hands  on  my  head,  and  saying  to  the  people  that 
this  was  his  successor,  or  was  to  be  his  successor.  I  remem- 
ber some  of  the  parties  that  were  on  the  stand,  ...  I  do 
not  remember  all  of  them.  William  Marks,  George  J.  Adams, 
and  I  think  Willard  Richards  were  on  the  stand  at  the  time." 
— Plaintiff's  Abstract,  p.  41. 

James  Whitehead,  being  sworn,  testified:  "I  took  the  posi- 
tion of  private  secretary  to  Joseph  Smith  on  the  llth  day  of 
June,  1842.  .  .  .  My  duties  were  to  keep  his  correspondence, 
letters,  books,  and  everything  of  that  nature  belonging  to  the 
office,  as  his  secretary.  .  .  .  Held  that  position  until  he  was 
killed,  the  27th  day  of  June,  1844.  ...  I  recollect  a  meeting 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  293 

that  was  held  in  the  winter  of  1843,  at  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  prior 
to  Joseph  Smith's  death,  at  which  the  appointment  was  made 
by  him,  Joseph  Smith,  of  his  successor.  His  son  Joseph  was 
selected  as  his  successor.  Joseph  Smith  did  the  talking.  There 
were  present  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith,  John  Taylor,  and  some 
others  who  also  spoke  on  the  subject;  there  were  twenty-five 
I  suppose  at  the  meeting.  ...  He  was  ordained  and  appointed 
at  that  meeting.  Hyrum  Smith,  the  patriarch,  anointed  him, 
and  Joseph  his  father  blessed  him  and  ordained  him,  and 
Newel  K.  Whitney  poured  the  oil  on  his  head,  and  he  was 
set  apart  to  be  his  father's  successor  in  office,  holding  all  the 
powers  that  his  father  held.  I  can  not  tell  all  the  persons 
that  were  present,  there  was  a  good  many  there.  John  Taylor 
and  Willard  Richards,  they  were  two  of  the  'twelve,'  Ebenezer 
Robinson  was  present,  and  George  J.  Adams,  Alpheus  Cutler, 
and  Reynolds  Cahoon.  .  .  .  The  church  did  take  action  as  a 
body  on  the  question  of  the  ordination  of  young  Joseph  as  his 
father's  successor;  the  church  consented  to  it.  ...  There  was 
a  vote  taken,  the  congregation  voted  and  agreed  to  the  ap- 
pointment. .  .  .  The  authority  for  selection  and  ordination  of 
Joseph  Smith  to  be  his  father's  successor  in  office  was  by 
revelation."— Ibid.,  pp.  28,  30,  31,  33,  36. 

John  H.  Thomas,  being  sworn,  testified:  "The  spring  con- 
ference was  held  on  the  6th  of  April  (1847,  at  Florence,  Ne- 
braska) .  At  that  conference  the  main  question  at  issue  was, 
that  none  of  Joseph  Smith's  family  were  along.  At  that  time 
we  understood  and  believed,  as  we  do  to-day,  that  Joseph's 
family,  or  the  head  of  his  posterity  rather,  young  Joseph, 
should  be  the  successor  of  his  father.  We  understood  that 
would  be  the  case,  and  all  attempts  by  Brigham  Young  to 
get  any  of  his  family  to  accompany  him  were  failures. 
Brigham  had  offered  inducements,  all  that  could  be  offered; 
but  they  would  not  go." — Ibid.,  p.  255. 

W.  W.  Blair,  being  sworn,  testified:  "That  ordination  was 
based,  first,  upon  the  laiv  of  lineage;  and  second,  on  the 
prophecy  to  which  I  have  alluded.  I  mean  the  prophecy  in 
the  Book  of  Covenants  in  regard  to  the  'seed  of  Joseph,'  or 


294  PARSONS'  TEX'0  BOOK 

the  'head  of  his  posterity' ;  and  based  furthermore  upon  the 
inspired  utterances  that  were  delivered  by  members  of  the 
church  in  northern  Illinois  and  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin  as 
early  as  1851;  or  I  should  say,  prophecies  that  were  delivered 
in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  as  early  as  1851,  and  also  that  were 
delivered  from  that  time  along  down  until  1860,  all  pointing 
to  the  fact  that  Joseph  Smith  would  come  to  the  church  and 
become  its  president." — Ibid.,  p.  142. 

John  H.  Carter,  sr.,  being  sworn,  testified:  "I  was  present 
at  a  meeting  in  the  city  of  Nauvoo.  .  .  .  It  was  held  in  the 
Bowery,  right  north  of  the  Temple.  .  .  .  Joseph  Smith  came 
on  the  stand  leading  his  son,  young  Joseph,  and  they  sat 
him  down  on  a  bench  at  the  Prophet's  right  hand  and  Joseph 
got  up  and  began  to  preach  and  talk  to  the  people,  and  the 
question  he  said  was  asked  by  somebody,  'If  Joseph  Smith 
should  be  killed  or  die,  who  would  be  his  successor?'  And  he 
turned  around  and  said,  pointing  to  his  son,  There  is  the 
successor,'  and  he  went  on  and  said,  'My  work  is  pretty  nearly 
done.'  "—Ibid.,  pp.  180,  181. 

James  Whitehead,  being  sworn:  "Brigham  Young  said  to 
me  at  different  times,  'I  am  not  the  leader  of  the  church,  nor 
a  prophet  of  the  church;  we  know  who  that  is,  it  is  Joseph,  the 
son  of  Joseph  the  Martyr.'  " — Plaintiff's  Abstract,  p.  36. 

Brigham  Young  said:  "For  it  is  the  legal  right,  in  God's 
kingdom,  for  the  oldest  son  to  minister,  and  obtain  blessings 
for  his  father,  and  act  for  his  father  when  he  is  gone  into  the 
eternal  world."— Ninth  General  Epistle  of  the  Twelve,  Salt 
Lake  City,  April  13,  1853.— Millennial  Star,  vol.  15,  p.  440. 

Brigham  Young  said:  "Right  of  heirship  in  the  priest- 
hood. .  .  .  This  right  did  belong,  still  belongs,  and  for  ever  will 
belong,  to  the  firstborn  son  in  every  family  of  Adam's  race. 
.  .  .  This  I  wish  the  Latter  Day  Saints  to  understand  a  little 
better  than  they  have  heretofore." — Millennial  Star,  vol.  15, 
p.  493. 

TEMPLE    NOT    FINISHED. 

At  the  dedication  of  the  Saint  George  Temple,  January  1, 
1877,  Brigham  Young  said:  "We  built  one  in  Nauvoo.  I 


PARSONS'   TEXT    BOOK  295 

could  pick  out  several  men  before  me  now,  that  were  there 
when  it  was  built,  and  know  just  how  much  was  finished,  and 
what  was  done.  It  is  true  we  left  brethren  there  with  instruc- 
tions to  finish  it,  and  they  got  it  nearly  completed  before  it 
was  burned,  but  the  Saints  did  not  enjoy  it." — Millennial  Star, 
vol.  39,  p.  118. 

He  said  in  August  31,  1856:  "Have  you  ever  seen  a  temple 
finished  since  this  church  commenced?  You  have  not." — Man- 
ual of  the  Priesthood,  p.  118. 

Brigham  Young  said  in  Salt  Lake  City,  February  14,  1853: 
"Suffice  it  to  say,  to  this  congregation,  that  we  shall  attempt 
to  build  a  temple  to  the  name  of  our  God.  This  has  been* 
attempted  several  times,  but  we  have  never  yet  had  the 
privilege  of  completing  and  enjoying  one." — Journal  of  Dis- 
courses, vol.  1,  p.  277. 

BRIGHAM    YOUNG    ADMITS    THERE    WAS    NO    COM- 
MANDMENT. 

Millennial  Star,  volume  15,  page  391,  says:  "Some  might 
query  whether  a  revelation  had  been  given  to  build  a  house 
to  the  Lord,  but  he  is  a  wicked  and  slothful  servant  who  doeth 
nothing  but  what  his  Lord  commandeth,  when  he  knoweth 
his  Master's  will.  I  know  a  temple  is  needed,  and  so  do 
you;  and  when  we  know  a  thing,  why  do  we  need  a  revelation 
to  compel  us  to  do  that  thing?  If  the  Lord  and  all  the  people 
want  a  revelation,  I  can  give  one  concerning  this  temple." 
—Saints'  Herald,  August  14, 1907. 

JOSEPH    F.    SMITH    PAVES    THE    WAY    FOR 
SUCCESSION. 

The  following  quotation  from  the  Salt  Lake  Tribune  for 
March  15  throws  some  light  on  movements  going  on  within 
the  Utah  church.  To  us  it  seems  a  very  late  afterthought 
to  seek  "the  mind  of  the  Spirit  of  God"  upon  the  subject. 
The  Reorganization  years  ago  sought  and  learned  the  "mind 
of  the  Spirit." 

"The  Smiths  are  evidently  aroused  to  a  sense  of  danger 


296  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

to  their  dynasty.  Smith,  senior — prophet,  seer  and  revelator 
of  the  polygamous  cult — not  being  in  good  form  to  answer 
opponents  of  his  right  to  the  presidential  succession  in  his 
church,  has  put  up  one  of  the  Smithlets;  and  for  the  same 
reason  that  doubtful  plays  are  tried  in  provincial  towns 
before  being  trusted  in  Broadway  houses,  the  initial  argument 
was  opened  at  Ogden  in  the  local  tabernacle  there. 

"During  forty  years  it  was  the  practice  of  the  Utah  Mor- 
mon church  to  ignore  the  Reorganized  Church,  refusing 
debates  to  its  elders  and  assuming  an  air  of  superiority  and 
conclusiveness  in  the  matter  of  the  succession.  Evidently 
•the  carrying  of  the  war  into  Africa  by  the  Reorganized  elders 
has  set  the  Joseph  F.  Smith  family  all  atremble  for  their 
crown;  and  silence  is  no  longer  deemed  to  be  sufficiently 
effective. 

"The  argument  of  the  Reorganized  Church  is  that  the  Utah 
church  has  never  had  the  right  of  succession  to  the  presi- 
dential office;  that  it  was  bestowed  by  revelation  to  the 
original  Joseph  upon  a  son  of  that  Joseph.  A  peculiar 
confirmation  of  this  idea  was  put  forth  by  Joseph  F.  Smith 
himself  in  the  special  conference  which  was  convened  in  the 
big  tabernacle  in  Salt  Lake  City  on  November  10,  1901.  As 
reported  in  the  Deseret  News,  the  following  is  a  part  of 
Joseph  F.  Smith's  address  on  that  occasion: 

"  'I  desire  to  read  a  little  from  the  revelation  in  relation 
to  the  order  of  the  holy  priesthood,  that  you  may  understand 
our  views  concerning  adhering  as  nearly  as  we  can  to  the 
holy  order  of  government  that  has  been  established  by  reve- 
lation through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  in  the  dispensation 
of  the  fullness  of  times.  We  can  not  deny  the  fact  that  the 
Lord  has  effected  one  of  the  most  perfect  organizations  in 
this  church  that  ever  existed  upon  the  earth.  T  do  not  know 
of  any  more  perfect  organization  than  exists  in  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints  to-day.  We  have  not 
always  carried  out  strictly  the  order  of  the  priesthood;  we 
have  varied  from  it  to  some  extent;  but  we  hope  in  due  time 
that  by  the  promptings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  we  will  be  led  up 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  297 

into  the  exact  channel  and  course  that  the  Lord  has  marked 
out  for  us  to  pursue,  and  adhere  strictly  to  the  order  that 
he  has  established.  I  will  read  from  a  revelation  that  was 
given  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  at  Nauvoo,  Hancock 
County,  Illinois,  January  19,  1841;  which  stands  as  the  law 
of  the  church  in  relation  to  the  presentation  of  the  authorities 
of  the  holy  priesthood  as  they  are  established  in  the  church, 
and  from  which  I  feel  that  we  have  no  right  to  depart.  The 
Lord  says: 

"  '  "First,  I  give  unto  you  Hyrum  Smith,  to  be  a  patriarch 
unto  you,  to  hold  the  sealing  blessings  of  my  church,  even  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  whereby  ye  are  sealed  up  unto  the 
day  of  redemption,  that  ye  may  not  fall,  notwithstanding  the 
hour  of  temptation  that  may  come  upon  you." 

"  'It  may  be  considered  strange  that  the  Lord  should  give 
first  of  all  the  patriarch;  yet  I  do  not  know  of  any  law,  any 
revelation  or  any  commandment  from  God  to  the  contrary, 
that  has  ever  been  given  through  any  of  the  prophets  or 
presidents  of  the  church.  At  the  same  time  we  well  know 
that  this  order  has  not  been  strictly  followed  from  the  day 
we  came  into  these  valleys  until  now — and  we  will  not  make 
any  change  at  present.  But  we  will  first  take  it  into  con- 
sideration; we  will  pray  over  it;  we  will  get  the  mind  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  upon  it,  as  upon  other  subjects,  and  be  united 
before  we  take  any  action  different  to  that  which  has  been 
done.' 

"Significant  in  itself,  the  utterance  acquires  additional 
emphasis  from  the  well-known  fact  that  the  Smiths  had  been 
jealous  of  the  Youngs  and  all  other  successors  to  the  presi- 
dency, from  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  the 
founder  of  the  faith — until  the  day  when  Joseph  F.  came 
to  the  throne  and  when  Hyrum,  his  own  son,  as  prince  im- 
perial, was  seated  on  the  steps  of  the  throne,  ready  to  seize 
the  scepter  when  it  should  fall  from  the  hand  of  his  venerable 
sire.  That  jealous  feeling  and  the  long  and  sullen  rage  with 
which  Joseph  F.  waited  for  his  day,  are  well  known  to  old 
timers  in  Utah.  The  remarks  of  Joseph  F.  at  the  special 


298  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

conference  must  be  read  with  the  understanding  that  he  felt 
that  the  crown  had  been  placed  upon  his  own  brow  after 
years  of  usurpation  by  unauthorized  kings  and  prophets.  If 
the  right  order  had  not  been  followed,  as  he  claimed,  then 
the  wrong  order  must  have  been  followed;  and  as  he  inti- 
mated, the  presidents  intervening  between  Joseph  and  Joseph 
F.  had  been  usurpers.  So  far  then,  Joseph  F.,  the  prophet, 
sustains  the  case  of  the  Reorganized  Church  against  what 
the  Reorganized  element  called  the  Brighamite  church.  Joseph 
F.  Smith  was  willing  to  discredit  the  reign  of  Brigham  Young 
and  his  successors,  but  was  not  willing  to  impeach  his  own 
title;  and  therefore,  he  harked  back  to  an  old  and  almost 
forgotten  pretended  revelation  in  which  his  own  father  was 
set  at  the  head  of  things  in  this  dispensation  by  the  pretended 
voice  of  the  Almighty. 

"Joseph  F.  came  to  the  presidency  as  a  successor  to  Brig- 
ham's  successors;  and,  with  Brigham's  title  overthrown, 
Joseph  F.'s  title  would  go  with  the  overthrow  but  for  his 
discovery  of  another  and  antedating  legitimacy  of  title.  Hav- 
ing fixed  the  right  within  his  family  to  rule,  he  clumsily 
left  the  question,  with  the  intimation  that  he  would  proceed 
no  further  with  the  restoration  of  the  proper  order  until 
such  time  as  divine  enlightenment  should  come.  The  manner 
indeed  was  clumsy,  but  the  purpose  was  cunning.  If  the 
right  to  rule  is  in  the  Hyrum  Smith  branch  of  the  Smith 
family,  then  Hy rum's  eldest  s'on,  who  is  John  Smith,  the 
patriarch,  is  the  chief  figure  of  the  Mormon  church  and  king- 
dom; and  Joseph  F.,  claiming  the  title  of  legitimacy  over  the 
usurpation  of  Brigham  Young,  becomes  himself  a  usurper 
over  his  brother  John.  It  was  well,  therefore,  that  he  paused 
immediately  at  the  point  of  establishing  himself  firmly  upon 
the  throne  or  the  kingdom  and  fixing  his  own  legitimacy 
as  ruler  by  his  descent  from  Hyrum,  the  patriarch,  without 
going  into  further  particulars,  the  exposure  of  which  would 
have  clearly  designated  his  brother  John  as  the  first  in  the 
kingdom. 

"The   Reorganized   Church   has  now   a   better   opportunity 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  299 

than  ever  before  to  attack  succession  in  the  Utah  Mormon 
church;  for  Joseph  F.  Smith,  the  present  head,  has  practically 
admitted  that  the  rule  of  Brigham  and  his  successors  was  one 
of  usurpation.  They  have  still  added  opportunity  from  the 
fact  that,  by  Joseph  F.'s  own  theory,  he  himself  is  in  an 
additional  sense  a  usurper. 

"Also,  it  is  now  clear  why  the  young  Smithlets  are  put 
on  guard  at  various  points  to  defend  the  title.  One  Gerard 
J.  S.  Abels,  of  Ogden,  a  former  missionary  of  the  Utah 
church  to  Holland,  a  man  who  has  been  twice  trusted  by 
his  church  in  that  important  field,  has  renounced  the  Utah 
Mormon  church  on  the  ground  that,  as  admitted  by  Joseph 
F.,  the  church  is  a  usurper  of  succession  to  the  presidency 
and  prophetship.  This  was  one  of  the  momentous  events 
which  created  the  present  crucial  issue. 

"It  would  be  a  satire  worthy  of  the  whole  scheme  if  Joseph 
F.,  after  overthrowing  the  Brighamite  usurpation  in  order 
to  defend  himself  against  the  charges  of  the  Reorganized 
Church  and  to  vindicate  his  own  family  pride  and  vanity, 
should  make  such  a  strong  case  that  his  brother  John  would 
find,  established  for  him,  a  clear  title  to  the  throne — and  the 
treasury."— Salt  Lake  Tribune,  March  15,  1907.— The  Saints' 
Herald,  March  27,  1907. 

TESTIMONY  IN  COURT  AS  TO  THE  SUCCESSOR. 

• 

W.  W.  Blair,  being  sworn,  testified:  "That  is  the  para- 
graph. It  says:  'This  anointing  have  I  put  upon  his  head, 
that  his  blessing  shall  also  be  put  upon  the  head  of  his  poster- 
ity after  him.'  That  we  understand  to  mean  the  ministerial 
blessings,  and  to  comprehend  the  presidency  of  the  church. 
The  prophetic  office  is  confirmed  in  this,  'That  his  blessing 
shall  also  be  put  upon  the  head  of  his  posterity  after  him.' 
According  to  the  construction  we  put  upon  this,  and  we  believe 
it  to  be  correct,  'the  head  of  his  posterity'  is  his  eldest  son.  In 
case  the  eldest  son  dies,  the  next  son  in  point  of  lineage  would 
then  be  the  eldest  son.  That  follows  as  a  natural  consequence. 
That  is  not  simply  my  conclusion.  I  understand  the  head  of 


300  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

a  man's  posterity,  if  he  has  half  a  dozen  sons,  may  be  John 
to-day,  and  if  John  dies  to-day,  to-morrow  it  may  be  Thomas, 
who  is  the  next  son  in  point  of  succession.  In  case  John  was 
the  eldest  and  he  dies,  the  next  oldest  son  is  the  head  of  his 
posterity.  I  understand  that  to  be  the  law  as  laid  down  in 
the  section  I  have  read,  and  it  is  the  law  of  common  sense  too. 
And  it  is  a  fact  that  if  the  eldest  son  dies,  having  a  son 
himself,  the  right  goes  to  that  son — that  is  true;  but  in  this 
case,  we  have  been  speaking  of  direct  succession  from  father 
to  son,  and  that  is  the  subject  that  my  answers  have  been 
limited  to.  By  direct  succession,  after  this  right  passes  from 
the  eldest  son  from  the  father,  then  the  authority  develops  in 
that  son,  as  a  matter  of  course;  and  if  that  eldest  son  dies 
having  a  son,  and  all  other  conditions  are  favorable  accord- 
ing to  the  law,  that  son  inherits  from  his  father  in  the  same 
manner  as  his  father  inherited  before  him.  .  .  .  Yes,  sir,  I 
have  said  it  is  laid  down  in  our  standard  books,  beyond 
question,  that  the  office  descends  from  father  to  son,  and  it 
descends  to  the  eldest.  It  goes  to  him  because  the  eldest  son 
holds  the  birthright."— Plaintiff's  Abstract,  pp.  116,  117. 

Stenhouse  says:  "From  the  death  of  the  founder  of 
Mormonism,  the  Saints  had  their  attention  riveted  on  'the 
seed'  of  the  Prophet,  and  expected  that  some  day  the  young 
man,  Joseph,  would  be  the  head  of  the  church.  Brigham  had 
fostered  this  faith  in  the  Saints  for  some  years,  but  when 
in  1860  young  Joseph  was  chosen  president  of  the  Reorganized 
church,  and  publicly  denounced  Brigham,  '.  ,  .  David  H.  was 
to  be  the  man." — Stenhouse's  work,  p.  628. 

Joseph  Smith,  to  Hon.  J.  C.  Calhoun,  said:  "While  I  have 
powers  of  body  and  mind;  while  water  runs  and  grass  grows; 
while  virtue  is  lovely,  and  vice  hateful;  and  while  a  stone 
points  out  a  sacred  spot  where  a  fragment  of  American  liberty 
once  was;  I,  or  my  posterity  will  plead  the  cause  of  injured 
innocence,  until  Missouri  makes  atonement  for  all  her  sins." 
— Times  and  Seasons,  vol.  5,  p.  395. 

The  foregoing  statements  are  confirmed  by  court  decisions 
as  follows: 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  301 

COURT  FINDINGS. 

"In  court  of  common  pleas,  Lake  County,  Ohio,  Febru- 
ary 23,  1880.  The  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  plaintiff,  vs.  Lucien  Williams,  Joseph 
Smith,  Sarah  F.  Videon,  M.  H.  Forscutt,  the  church  in  Utah, 
of  which  John  Taylor  is  president,  and  commonly  known  as 
the  'Mormon  church,'  defendants.  .  .  .  Whereof  the  court  do 
find  as  matters  of  fact: 

"Notice  was  given  to  the  defendants  ...  as  required  by 
the  statutes  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  .  .  .  *That  there  was  organ- 
ized on  the  6th  day  of  April,  1830,  at  Palmyra,  in  the  State 
of  New  York,  by  Joseph  Smith,  a  religious  society,  under 
the  name  of  "The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints,"  .  .  .  and  was  founded  upon  certain  well-defined  doc- 
trines which  were  set  forth  in  the  Bible,  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  .  ,  .  That  the  said  plain- 
tiff, the  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints,  is  a  religious  society  founded  and  organized  upon  the 
same  doctrines  and  tenets  and  having  the  same  church  organ- 
ization as  the  original  church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints  organized  in  1830  by  Joseph  Smith,  and  was  organized 
pursuant  to  the  constitution,  laws  and  usages  of  said  original 
church.  .  .  .  That  the  church  in  Utah,  the  defendant,  .  .  . 
has  materially  and  largely  departed  from  the  faith,  doctrines, 
laws,  ordinances  and  usages  of  said  original  church,  .  .  .  and 
has  incorporated  into  its  system  of  faith  the  doctrines  of 
celestial  marriage  and  a  plurality  of  wives,  and  the  doctrine 
of  Adam-god  worship,  conrary  to  the  laws  and  constitution 
of  said  original  church.  And  the  court  do  further  find  that 
the  plaintiff,  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter 
Day  Saints,  is  the  true  and  lawful  continuation  of,  and  suc- 
cessor to  the  said  original  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter 
Day  Saints,  organized  in  1830,  and  is  entitled  in  law  to  all 
its  rights  and  property.'  ' 

"In  the  circuit  court  of  the  United  States,  for  the  western 
division  of  the  western  district  of  Missouri,  the  Reorganized 


302  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints  vs.  the  Church 
of  Christ,  et  al. 

"Statement  of  case. 

"The  courts  will  adjudge  the  property  'to  the  members, 
however  few  in  numbers  they  may  be,'  who  adhere  to  -the 
form  of  church  government,  or  acknowledge  the  church  con- 
nection, for  which  the  property  was  acquired."  (Judge 
Strong's  lecture  on  Relation  of  Civil  Law  to  Church  Property, 
pages  49-59.) 

"Justice  Caton  in  Ferraria  et  al.  vs.  Vanconcellos  et  al., 
31  111.,  54,  55,  aptly  states  the  rule  to  be,  'That,  where  a 
church  is  erected  for  the  use  of  a  particular  denomination  or 
religious  persuasion,  a  majority  of  the  members  can  not  aban- 
don the  tenets  and  doctrines  of  the  denomination  and  retain 
the  right  to  the  use  of  the  property;  but  such  secessionists 
forfeit  all  right  to  the  property,  even  if  but  a  single  member 
adheres  to  the  original  faith  and  doctrine  of  the  church.  This 
rule  is  founded  in  reason  and  justice.  .  .  .  Those  who  adhere  to 
the  original  tenets  and  doctrines,  for  the  promulgation  of 
which  a  church  has  been  erected,  are  the  sole  beneficiaries  de- 
signed by  the  donors;  and  those  who  depart  from  and  abandon 
those  tenets  and  doctrines  cease  to  be  beneficiaries,  and  forfeit 
all  claim  to  the  title  and  use  of  such  property.' 

"No  matter,  therefore,  if  the  church  at  Nauvoo  became  a 
prey  to  schisms,  after  the  death  of  Joseph  Smith,  and  pre- 
sented'as  many  frightful  heads  as  did  the  dragon  which  the 
Apostle  John  saw  in  his  vision  on  the  Isle  of  Patmos,  if  there 
was  one  righteous  left  in  Sodom,  the  promise  of  the  covenant 
of  the  law  of  the  land  is  to  him.  It  is  neither  good  law  nor 
Bible  history  to  say  that  because  the  Saints  became  scattered 
and  without  an  organism,  the  faithful  lost  the  benefit  of 
the  church  property.  Forsooth  the  children  of  Israel  were 
carried  captive  to  Babylon, — 'the  mother  of  harlots  and  abom- 
inations of  the  earth,' — they  did  not  cease  to  be  children  of 
the  covenant,  nor  lose  their  interest  in  Jerusalem. 

"A  considerable  number  of  the  officers  and  members  of  the 
church  at  Nauvoo  did  not  ally  themselves  with  any  of  the 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  303 

factions,  and  wherever  they  were  they  held  onto  the  faith, 
refused  to  follow  Brigham  Young  to  Utah,  and  ever  repudi- 
ated the  doctrine  of  polygamy,  which  was  the  great  rock  of 
offense  on  which  the  church  split  after  the  death  of  Joseph 
Smith. 

"In  1852  the  scattered  fragments  of  the  church,  the  rem- 
nants of  those  who  held  to  the  fortunes  of  the  present  Joseph 
Smith,  son  of  the  so-called  'Martyr,'  gathered  together  suffi- 
ciently for  a  nucleus  of  organization.  They  took  the  name  of 
'The  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day 
Saints,'  and  avowed  their  allegiance  to  the  teachings  of  the 
ancient  church;  and  their  epitome  of  faith  adopted,  while 
containing  differences  in  phraseology,  in  its  essentials  is  but 
a  reproduction  of  that  of  the  church  as  it  existed  from  1830 
to  1844.  To-day  they  are  twenty-five  thousand  strong. 

"It  is  charged  by  the  respondents,  as  an  echo  of  the  Utah 
church,  that  Joseph  Smith,  'the  Martyr,'  secretly  taught  and 
practiced  polygamy;  and  the  Utah  contingent  furnishes  the 
evidence,  and  two  of  the  women,  to  prove  this  fact.  It  perhaps 
would  be  uncharitable  to  say  of  these  women  that  they  have 
borne  false  testimony  as  to  their  connection  with  Joseph 
Smith;  but,  in  view  of  all  the  evidence  and  circumstances 
surrounding  the  alleged  intercourse,  it  is  difficult  to  escape 
the  conclusion  that  at  most  they  were  but  sports  in  'nest 
hiding.'  In  view  of  the  contention  of  the  Salt  Lake  party, 
that  polygamy  obtained  at  Nauvoo  as  early  as  1841,  it  must 
be  a  little  embarrassing  to  President  Woodruff,  of  that  organ- 
ization, when  he  is  confronted,  as  he  was  in  the  evidence  in 
this  case,  with  a  published  card  in  the  church  organ  at 
Nauvoo  in  October,  1843,  certifying  that  he  knew  of  no  other 
rule  or  system  of  marriage  than  the  one  published  in  the 
Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  that  the  'secret  wife 
system,'  charged  against  the  church,  was  a  creature  of  inven- 
tion by  one  Doctor  Bennett,  and  that  they  knew  of  no  such 
society.  That  certificate  was  signed  by  the  leading  members 
of  the  church,  including  John  Taylor,  the  former  president 
of  the  Utah  church.  And  a  similar  certificate  was  published 


304  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

by  the  Ladies'  Relief  Society  of  the  same  place,  signed  by 
Emma  Smith,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Smith,  and  Phoebe  Wood- 
ruff, wife  of  the  present  President  Woodruff.  No  such  mar- 
riage ever  occurred  under  the  rules  of  the  church,  and  no  off- 
spring came  from  the  imputed  illicit  intercourse,  although 
Joseph  Smith  was  in  the  full  vigor  of  young  manhood,  and 
his  wife,  Emma,  was  giving  birth  to  healthy  children  in 
regular  order,  and  was  enciente  at  the  time  of  Joseph's  death. 

"But  if  it  were  conceded  that  Joseph  Smith,  and  Hyrum, 
his  brother,  did  secretly  practice  concubinage,  is  the  church 
to  be  charged  with  those  liaisons,  and  the  doctrine  of  polyg- 
amy to  be  predicated  thereon  of  the  church?  If  so,  I  suspect 
the  doctrine  of  polygamy  might  be  imputed  to  many  of  the 
Gentile  churches.  Certainly  it  was  never  promulgated,  taught, 
nor  recognized,  as  a  doctrine  of  the  church  prior  to  the 
assumption  of  Brigham  Young. 

"It  is  next  charged  against  complainant  church  that  it 
has  added  to  the  articles  of  faith  other  revelations  of  the 
divine  will,  alleged  to  have  been  made  to  Joseph  Smith,  the 
present  head  of  complainant  church.  If  so,  how  can  this  be 
held  to  be  heretical,  or  a  departure,  when  in  the  epitome  of 
faith  of  the  ancient  church,  is  this  article,  'We  believe  all 
that  God  has  revealed,  all  that  he  does  now  reveal,  and  we 
believe  that  he  will  yet  reveal  many  great  and  important 
things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God?'  And  in  the  Book 
of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  paragraph  2,  section  14,  it  is 
taught  that  such  revelations  might  come  through  him  whom 
the  prophet  might  ordain. 

"In  the  very  nature  of  the  doctrine  of  the  church,  that  God 
in  the  fullness  of  time  makes  known  his  will  to  the  church  by 
revelation,  additional  revelations  were  to  be  expected.  No 
specification  is  made  by  learned  counsel  as  to  wherein  the 
alleged  new  revelations  declare  any  doctrine  at  variance  with 
that  taught  in  antecedent  revelations. 

"It  is  next  charged  that  the  complainants  have  a  new 
Bible.  The  basis  for  this  is  that  Joseph  Smith,  the  founder 
of  the  church,  was  as  early  as  1830  engaged  in  a  translation 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  305 

of  the  Bible,  which  he  is  alleged  to  have  completed  about  1833 
or  1834.  This  work  seems  to  have  been  recognized  also  in  a 
revelation  in  section  13,  paragraph  15,  and  in  section  58.  The 
evidence  shows  that  this  manuscript  was  kept  by  his  wife 
and  delivered  to  the  present  Joseph  Smith,  her  son,  and  was 
published  by  a  committee  of  the  church.  It  is  not  claimed  by 
Joseph  Smith  that  this  translation  is  a  substitute  for  the 
King  James'  translation,  nor  has  it  been  made  to  appear  that 
it  inculcates  any  new  religious  tenet  different  from  that  of 
the  ancient  church.  In  this  day  of  multifarious  and  free 
translations  of  the  Bible  it  should  hardly  be  imputed  a  heresy 
in  this  church  to  take  some  liberties  with  the  virgin  Greek 
and  Hebrew.  It  is  also  charged  that  the  complainant  church 
has  only  eleven  representing  the  Quorum  of  Twelve.  I  be- 
lieve the  New  Testament  records  it  as  a  historical  fact  that 
'Peter  stood  up  with  the  eleven,'  after  the  apostasy  of  Judas 
Iscariot.  There  is  nothing  in  the  code  of  the  present  church 
to  prevent  the  filling  out  of  the  'Twelve.' 

"There  are  some  other  minor  objections  to  the  present 
organization,  the  answer  to  which  is  so  obvious  that  it  scarcely 
need  be  made. 

"Who  are  the  respondents  and  in  what  do  they  believe? 
Looking  at  their  answer  in  this  case,  and  their  evidence,  the 
idea  occurs  that  in  theory  they  are  ecclesiastical  nondescripts, 
and  in  practice  'squatter  sovereigns.'  They  repudiate  po- 
lygamy while  looking  to  Salt  Lake  City  for  succor.  They 
deny  in  their  answer  that  this  property  was  ever  bought  for 
the  church,  or  impressed  with  a  trust  therefor,  and  yet,  when 
their  head  men  were  on  the  witness  stand  they  swore  they 
are  a  part  and  parcel  of  the  original  church,  founded  and 
inspired  by  Joseph  Smith,  'the  Martyr,'  and  that  to-day  they 
hold  the  property  in  question  in  trust  for  that  church. 

"They  are  commonly  called  'Hedrickites'  because  their 
head  is  Granville  Hedrick,  who  himself  was  a  member  of 
complainant  organization  as  minister,  and  participated  ac- 
tively in  its  General  Conference  as  late  as  1857,  receiving  the 
'right  hand  of  fellowship,'  and  moving  the  conference  to  work? 


306  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

of  evangelization  in  his  region  of  the  country.  It  is  inferable 
from  the  testimony  in  this  case  that  they  reject  measurably 
the  standard  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  according 
to  the  testimony  of  respondent  Hill  they  'repudiate  the  doc- 
trine taught  by  the  church  in  general  after  1833,  1834,  and 
1835.'  And  also  the  law  relating  to  'tithes  and  offerings,' 
and  the  doctrine  of  baptism  for  the  dead,  which  were  taught 
by  the  mother  church.  They  also  seem  to  reject  the  law 
relating  to  the  Presidency,  and  of  'the  Twelve  Traveling 
High  Council/'  and  also  'the  quorum  of  Seventy  Evangelists.' 
"They  are  but  a  small  band,  and  their  seizure  of  the 
Temple  Lot,  and  attempt  thus  to  divert  the  trust,  invoke  the 
interposition  of  a  court  of  equity  to  establish  the  trust  and 
prevent  its  perversion. 

"Laches. 

"It  is  urged  by  respondents  that  the  claim  of  complainant 
is  stale,  and  that  a  court  of  equity  will  not  afford  relief  where 
party  complaining  has  been  guilty  of  laches.  There  are 
several  answers  to  this  objection.  In  the  first  place,  this  is 
an  express  trust  in  favor  of  complainant,  arising  on  the 
Partridge  deed  of  1839.  The  statute  of  limitation  does  not 
run  against  an  express  trust.  There  was  no  repudiation  of 
the  trust  by  the  trustees.  Laches  is  a  question  determined  by 
the  circumstances  of  the  particular  case. 

"The  delay  in  bringing  this  action  is  not  inexcusable.  The 
beneficiaries  of  the  trust  were  driven  from  the  State  in 
1838-39  by  military  force,  and  were  not  permitted  to  return  to 
the  State.  A  public  hostile  feeling  and  sentiment  were  excited 
against  them,  which  would  have  blazed  up  from  the  slum- 
bering fires  at  any  time  thereafter  prior  to  the  civil  war,  had 
they  returned  here  and  attempted  to  occupy  this  property.  No 
one  better  knew  this  than  the  respondents  when  they  laid 
hands  to  this  property.  The  complainants  were  not  here  'to 
stand  by'  while  parties  were  giving  and  receiving  deeds  to  this 
property.  No  improvements  were  made  on,  and  no  visible 
possession  taken  of,  the  Temple  Lot,  until  1882,  within  ten 
years  of  the  institution  of  this  suit,  and  when  the  trust  deed 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  307 

had  been  of  record  twelve  years.  Up  to  this  hostile  action  of 
respondents  the  complainant  had  a  right  to  assume  that  the 
trust  character  of  this  property  was  intact,  and  that  the  lot 
was  open  for  their  entry  at  any  time  when  the  auspicious 
hour  came  to  build  on  it. 

"In  the  language  of  Chief  Justice  Fuller  in  Simmons  Creek 
Coal  Company  vs.  Doran,  142  U.  S.  444,  'There  was  no  delay, 
therefore,  in  the  assertion  of  its  rights  after  they  were  in- 
vaded.' See  also  Burke  vs.  Bachus  (Minnesota),  53  N.  W. 
Rep.  458. 

"A  court  of  equity  has  jurisdiction  in  this  case.  It  belongs 
to  it  to  remove  clouds  from  title,  ''the  relief  being  granted  on 
the  principle  of  quia  timet.'  It  is  peculiarly  its  province  in 
a  case  like  this  to  vindicate  the  trust,  to  determine  the  real 
beneficiaries  of  the  trust  estate,  and  to  prevent  its  diversion. 

"Decree  will  go  in  favor  of  complainant,  establishing  the 
trust  in  its  favor  against  respondents,  removing  the  cloud 
from  the  title,  enjoining  respondents  from  asserting  title  to 
the  property,  and  awarding  the  possession  to  the  complainant. 

"I,  John  F.  Philips,  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  the 
United  States  for  the  Western  Division  of  the  Western  Dis- 
trict of  Missouri,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  is  a 
copy  of  the  opinion  handed  down  by  me  in  the  above  entitled 
cause. 

"Witness  my  hand  this  16th  day  of  March,  A.  D.  1894. 

"JOHN  F.  PHILIPS,  Judge" 

REORGANIZED   CHURCH    IN    CANADIAN    COURTS. 

The  Decision. 

"Reg.  v.  Dickhout. — J.  C.  Cartwright,  Q.  C.,  and  Dymond 
for  the  Crown.  W.  M.  German  (Welland)  for  the  defendant. 
Case  stated  by  the  police  magistrate  for  the  town  of  Niagara 
Falls,  before  whom  the  defendant  was  charged  for  that  he 
did  on  the  19th  of  May,  1893,  at  that  town,  unlawfully  and 
without  lawful  authority,  solemnize  a  marriage  between 
Abraham  H.  Taylor  and  Alice  E.  Vance.  The  question  raised 
by  the  case  was  whether  the  defendant  as  a  priest  of  The, 


308  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,' 
was  entitled  as  a  minister  of  'a  church  or  denomination' 
within  the  meaning  of  R.  S.  O.,  ch.  131,  sec.  1,  (to  solemnize 
a  marriage).  Counsel  for  the  crown  contended  as  Chris- 
tianity was  part  of  the  law  of  the  province,  the  words  of  the 
statute  must  be  read  as  meaning  'Christian  church  or  denomi- 
nation,' and  that  the  body  in  question  was  not  a  Christian 
body.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  argument  the  judgment  of  the 
court  was  delivered  by  C.  J.  Armour,  as  follows:  'We  think 
it  quite  clear  that  this  conviction  can  not  be  maintained.  The 
defendant  was  clearly  a  duly  ordained  minister  of  this  reli- 
gious body,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  a  religious  denomi- 
nation within  the  words  of  the  statute.  Assuming  that  Chris- 
tianity is  the  law  of  the  land  in  a  sense,  there  is  nothing 
contrary  to  Christianity  in  the  tenets  of  this  body.  It  is 
true  they  have  something  supplemental  to  the  Bible,  but  that 
is  the  case  with  every  church  or  denomination.  The  Church 
of  England  has  its  creeds  and  the  Presbyterian  Church  its 
confession.  That  does  not  make  the  church  an  anti-Christian 
one.  The  statute  does  not  say  "Christian,"  but  "religious."  If 
it  said  "Christian"  it  would  exclude  Jews.  The  fundamental 
law  of  the  country  makes  no  distinction  between  churches  or 
denominations.  Every  person  is  at  liberty  to  worship  his 
Maker  in  the  way  he  pleases.  We  have,  or  ought  to  have,  in 
this  country  perfect  freedom  of  speech  and  perfect  freedom  of 
worship.  Conviction  quashed.' 

"Chief  Justice  Armour,  and  other  judges  concurring,  said: 
" '/  have  read  the  evidence  over,  and  find  nothing  contrary 
to  the  doctrine  of  Christ  in  the  teaching  of  the  Reorganized 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints.'  'The  great 
trouble  is,  the  Latter  Day  Saints'  doctrine  is  Christian  in  the 
highest  sense,  and  the  rest  of  the  religious  world  is  opposed 
to  them  because  they  (the  Saints)  cling  so  closely  to  the 
Bible.'  'It  seems  as  though  it  is  jealousy  not  justice,  that 
moves  the  action  in  this  case/  'But  these  people  teach  that 
one  man  should  have  one  wife  only,  and  they  stand  by  that.' 
'The  doctrine  of  this  church  is  surely  according  to  the  Bible.' 


•  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  309 

'God  has  a  body.'  'Yes,  they  teach  that  God  has  body,  parts, 
and  passions.'  'I  think  that  doctrine  very  elementary.'  'Does 
not  the  Bible  say  that  God  made  man  in  his  own  image? 
Now,  I  am  a  man;  I  have  a  body.  This  point  appears  to  be 
in  their  favor.'  'I  am  surprised  to  see  this  trial,  it  seems  as 
if  some  of  the  Christians  are  wanting  to  go  back  to  the  dark 
ages;  they  would  have  us  try  heresy  here.'  'This  is  not  prose- 
cution but  persecution.' 

"Referring  to  the  R.  S.  0.,  ch,.  131,  sec.  1,  which  says, 
'The  ministers  or  clergymen  of  every  church,  or  religious 
denomination,  and  resident  in  Ontario,  duly  ordained  or  ap- 
pointed, may  solemnize  the  ceremony  of  marriage';  etc.,  the 
learned  Chief  Justice  said: 

"  'This  clause  of  the  statute  is  very  plain,  and  was  not 
written  for  the  benefit  of  any  one  denomination,  but  for  the 
protection  of  all.' 

"After  hearing  the  argument  for  the  crown  he  said  that  it 
was  not  necessary  to  hear  the  counsel  for  the  defense,  as  the 
case  was  clear  to  the  court,  that  defendant  in  this  case  had 
the  right  to  solemnize  marriage." — Herald,  pp.  806,  807. 

The  foregoing  statement  as  clipped  from  Saints'  Herald 
was  certified  to  by  Elder  R.  C.  Evans  as  being  correct  in 
main,  as  he  took  it  at  the  time  as  per  statement  and  findings 
of  the  court,  which  was  ratified  by  Elder  H.  C.  Smith  in  letter 
in  Herald. 

Bro.  R.  C.  Evans'  letter  to  me  above  referred  to  was  writ- 
ten October  24,  1906. 

POLYGAMY  PERMISSIBLE. 

Made  so  by  the  act  of  the  Congress  of  the  Presbyterian,  the 
London  Church  Missionary,  and  the  Baptist  Missionary  so- 
cieties, at  Calcutta  in  1834,  to-wit:  "If  a  convert  before  be- 
coming a  Christian  had  married  more  wives  than  one,  he  shall 
be  permitted  to  keep  them  all,  though  he  shall  not  be  eligible 
to  any  office  in  the  church.  In  no  other  case  is  polygamy  to  be 
tolerated  among  Christians." — Brown's  History  of  Missions, 
vol.  3,  pp.  365,  366.  (Quoted  from  Saints'  Herald,  vol.  51, 
August  10,  1904. 


310  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  May  27,  1899:  "The  last  day's 
session  of  the  Presbyterian  General  Assembly  opened  this 
morning  with  a  crowded  docket.  An  overture  from  the  Synod 
of  India,  asking  for  a  reply  to  the  memorial  upon  the  subject 
of  baptizing  polygamous  converts,  was  considered.  The  Mo- 
hammedan was  admitted  to  the  church  and  he  was  allowed  to 
retain  both  wives  and  houses.  .  .  .  Doctor  Morrison,  repre- 
senting the  synod  trial  cases  and  special  legislation,  held 
that  the  recognition  of  polygamous  marriages  by  the  church 
in  India  was  an  absolute  necessity.  'Any  other  rule,'  said  he, 
'would  rule  David  out  of  the  church.'  " — Kansas  City  Mail. 
(Quoted  from  Faulty  Creeds,  pp.  52,  53.) 

POLYGAMY    AND    FOREIGN    MISSIONS. 

"Under  the  above  heading  the  Literary  Digest  dated  June 
16,  1906,  discusses  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  marriage 
question  that  has  been  met  in  foreign  lands  by  one  of  the 
religious  bodies,  and  especially  it  gives  account  of  the  way 
one  of  the  missionaries  of  that  sect  views  the  situation.  His 
view  of  the  matter  shows  how  men  hold  that  they  are  com- 
pelled by  circumstances,  in  the  prosecution  of  their  proselyting 
work,  to  advocate  certain  allowances  and  to  tolerate  the  cus- 
toms and  practices  of  people  which  they  would  look  upon 
with  great  horror  under  other  circumstances.  And  perhaps 
they  would  make  no  allowance  if  the  same  conditions  were 
met  by  other  proselyting  bodies  rather  than  by  themselves. 

"Rev.  H.  H.  White,  a  Presbyterian  missionary  in  China,  who 
boldly  advocates  such  allowance  in  the  following  words: 

"  'Inasmuch  as  when  one  in  ignorance  of  the  law  of  God  has 
the  responsibilities  of  a  husband  to  more  than  one  wife  or 
concubine,  to  retract  his  course  would  be  more  sinful  than  to 
remain  in  it;  therefore,  in  the  oase  of  apparently  genuine 
repentance  on  the  part  of  such  a  one,  he  should  be  received 
into  the  church  with  due  instruction  as  to  the  heinousness 
of  his  sin,  warning  as  to  the  future,  and  being  reckoned  as  in- 
eligible to  hold  office  in  the  church.' 

"  'In  taking  these  women  as  wives  or  concubines  the  man 


.  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  311 

assumes  responsibility  for  their  welfare  which  he  can  not 
evade  without  sin,  and  sin  made  more  grievous  by  the  awful 
consequences  thereof.  What  can  he  do  with  her?  Send  her 
back  home?  He  will  have  all  he  can  do  to  escape  the  vengeance 
of  her  family  for  disgracing  her,  without  expecting  them  to 
assume  the  burden  of  her  support  and  the  odium  of  her  dis- 
grace. .  .  .  Can  he  not  set  her  aside  on  an  alimony,  some 
American  will  say.  And  then  what  is  she?  Not  a  wife,  not 
a  widow,  not  a  maid;  what  but  a  helpless,  defenseless, 
tempted,  degraded,  embittered  woman,  a  bit  of  humanity  at  the 
mercy  of  the  unprincipled.' 

"  'Nor  is  there  any  practical  danger  of  its  setting  a  prece- 
dent or  lowering  the  standard  of  the  church  in  China.  The 
cases  are  few,  and  even  when  they  are  admitted,  so  stringently 
is  the  sinfulness  of  the  relation  impressed  that  the  isolated 
cases  are  a  warning  rather  than  an  encouragement.'  " — Saints' 
Herald  of  September  12,  1906,  from  an  article  by  Elder  H.  A. 
Stebbins. 

POLYGAMY    PERMISSIBLE    IN    THE    CHRISTIAN    OR 
CAMPBELLITE    CHURCH. 

Rev.  B.  W.  Johnson,  in  answer  to  question  on  the  marriage 
problem,  said:  "The  gospel  took  men  as  it  found  them,  and 
told  them  to  go  and  sin  no  more.  We  not  only  find  traces 
of  these  things  in  the  epistles,  but  even  of  a  man  having  more 
than  one  wife.  It  seems  to  have  been  the  inspired  policy  to 
exercise  the  greatest  possible  toleration.  When  a  man  with 
two  wives  was  converted  he  was  not  required  to  wrong  one 
by  putting  her  away,  but  at  the  same  time  the  disapproval 
of  the  church  was  placed  on  his  marriage  relations  by  making 
him  ineligible  to  office  in  the  church." — Christian  Evangelist, 
March  30,  1893. 

This  is  confirmed  as  his  statement  and  his  ability  and 
qualification  to  speak  intelligently  upon  such  matters  by  Rev. 
J.  H.  Garrison,  editor  of  the  aforesaid  periodical,  in  a  letter 
to  D.  A.  Holcomb,  of  Dunlap,  Iowa,  as  furnished  me  by  J.  F. 
Mintun,  through  C.  J.  Hunt:  "Replying  to  your  inquiry  of 


312  .      PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

the  24th  inst.,  as  to  the  author  of  the  answer  to  the  query 
in  the  Christian  Evangelist  of  March  30,  1893,  signed  'J,' 
would  say  that  beyond  doubt  Bro.  B.  W.  Johnson,  then  one 
of  the  editors  of  the  paper,  was  the  author  of  the  comment. 
This  is  evident  (1)  from  the  fact  that  the  question  is  ad- 
dressed to  Brother  Johnson;  (2)  that  it  is  signed  by  his 
initial,  j,  and  (3)  it  is  written  in  his  style  and  expresses  what 
I  am  sure  would  have  been  his  views  of  the  case." 

In  the  catalogue  of  the  Christian  Publishing  Company  I 
find  this  in  confirmation  of  his  ability:  "Probably  no  one 
could  be  named  in  the  Christian  Church  so  well  fitted  for  the 
task  of  preparation,  in  all  respects,  as  B.  W.  Johnson.  His 
reputation  as  a  Bible  scholar  is  too  well  known  to  require 
a  word.  His  life  has  been  devoted  to  Bible  study,  and  his 
work  for  years  has  been  the  preparation  of  Bible  notes. 
Scholarly,  studious,  full  of  reverence  for  the  Bible,  devout, 
with  eminent  power  of  clear,  strong  expression  in  the  fewest 
possible  words,  conspicuous  for  his  knowledge  of  the  history, 
geography  and  customs  of  Bible  times,  and  also  for  his  insight 
into  the  deep,  spiritual  meaning  of  the  sacred  text,  he  presents 
a  rare  combination  of  qualities  for  this  work." — Page  35. 

(This  last  statement  was  furnished  by  Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt.) 

JOSEPH  SMITH  THE  SEER'S  VIEWS  OF  SECRECIES. 

Joseph  Smith  the  Seer  said:  "We  further  caution  our 
brethren  against  the  impropriety  of  the  organization  of  bands 
or  companies  by  covenants,  oaths,  penalties,  or  secrecies;  but 
let  the  time  past  of  our  experience  and  sufferings  by  the 
wickedness  of  Doctor  Avard  suffice,  and  let  our  covenants  be 
that  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  as  it  is  contained  in  the 
Holy  Writ;  and  the  things  which  God  has  revealed  unto  us; 
pure  friendship  always  becomes  weakened  the  very  moment 
you  undertake  to  make  it  stronger  by  penal  oaths  and  secrecy. 
Your  humble  servants  intend  from  henceforth  to  disapprobate 
everything  that  is  not  in  accordance  with  the  fullness  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  which  is  not  of  a  bold,  frank,  and 
upright  nature;  they  will  not  hold  their  peace  as  in  times 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  313 

past  when  they  see  iniquity  beginning  to  rear  its  head,  for 
fear  of  traitors,  or  the  consequences  that  shall  follow,  from 
reproving  those  who  creep  in  unawares  that  they  may  get 
something  to  destroy  the  flock."  Signed  by  Joseph  Smith, 
jr.,  Hyrum  Smith,  Lyman  Wight,  Caleb  Baldwin,  Alexander 
McRae. — Church  History,  vol.  2,  p.  324.  This  is  said  to  have 
been  written  while  they  were  incarcerated  in  Liberty  jail, 
March  20,  1839. — Times  and  Seasons,  vol.  1,  pp.  183,  134  • 

HISTORICAL  EVENTS  CONCERNING  THE  RISE  AND 
REORGANIZATION  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Joseph  Smith  was  born  December  23,  1805.  In  March,  1820, 
during  a  religious  revival  at  Palmyra,  New  York,  he  prayed 
to  God  for  wisdom,  and  then  saw  his  first  vision. 

1823,  September  21,  Joseph  was  visited  by  the  angel  Moroni, 
who  told  him  of  the  plates.  The  next  day  he  was  permitted 
to  see  them. 

1827,  September  22,  he  received  the  plates  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon. 

1828,  in  February,  Martin  Harris  took  to  Professor  Anthon 
and  Doctor  Mitchill,  or  New  York,  a  transcript  of  the  char- 
acters. 

1829,  May  15,  the  Aaronic  priesthood  was  conferred  upon 
Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery  by  John  the  Baptist,  and 
they  baptized  each  other,  and  also  Samuel  H.  Smith,  and  in 
June,  Hyrum  Smith,  and  David  and  Peter  Whitmer.     After 
that  others  were  baptized.     In  July  the  plates  were  shown  to 
three  and  then  to  eight  witnesses. 

1830,  April  6,  the  church  was  organized  with  six  members 
present  as  follows:     Joseph  Smith,  Oliver  Cowdery,  Samuel 
H.  Smith,  Hyrum  Smith,  David  and  Peter  Whitmer,  at  Fay- 
ette,    Seneca    County,    New   York.      Joseph    Smith,    sr.,    and 
Martin  Harris,  baptized  the  same  day.     June  1,  a  conference 
was  held  at  the  same  place,  thirty  members  present. 

1844,  June  27,  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith  were  killed  in 
Carthage  jail. 

1851,   November   18,  revelation  to  J.   W.   Briggs  that  the 


314  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

seed  of  Joseph  Smith  should  yet  lead  the  church.  During  the 
same  fall  one  to  Z.  H.  Gurley,  sr.,  to  the  same  effect. 

1852,  June  12,  a  preparatory  council  or  conference  held 
near  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  (Newark  Township).  The  claims  of 
all  leaders  cast  off  and  the  right  of  Joseph's  seed  sustained. 

April  6,  1860,  was  the  long  anticipated  day  for  the  better 
equipment  of  the  Reorganization  for  the  work  committed  to 
its  trust,  by  the  presence  of  Joseph  Smith  the  son  of  the 
martyred  Seer.  Who  when  introduced  to  the  congregation 
over  which  Bro.  Z.  H.  Gurley,  sr.,  and  William  Marks  pre- 
sided by  selection,  said:  "I  would  say  to  you,  brethren,  as 
I  hope  you  may  be,  and  in  faith  I  trust  you  are,  as  a  people 
that  God  has  promised  his  blessings  upon,  I  came  not  here 
of  myself,  but  by  the  influence  of  the  Spirit.  For  some  time 
past  I  have  received  manifestations  pointing  to  the  position 
which  I  am  about  to  assume.  I  wish  to  say  that  I  have  come 
here  not  to  be  dictated  by  any  men  or  set  of  men.  I  have 
come  in  obedience  to  a  power  not  my  own,  and  shall  be  dictated 
by  the  power  that  sent  me." — Quoted  from  the  Church  His- 
tory, vol.  3,  p.  247.  (I  only  quote  a  part  of  his  address; 
what  I  think  will  be  handy  and  brief  to  meet  that  oft- 
repeated  statement  that  he  was  not  called  of  God.) 

RETURNING    TO    THE   LAND    OF    ZION. 

The  Saints  began  returning  to  the  County  of  Jackson  and 
State  of  Missouri,  in  the  year  of  1867.  The  above  statement 
of  facts  I  gathered  when  writing  up  the  history  of  the  Inde- 
pendence District,  a  few  years  ago. 

STAKES    ORGANIZED. 

Stakes  were  organized  by  the  command  of  God,  by  revela- 
tion, at  Independence,  Missouri,  and  Lamoni,  Iowa,  April  15, 
1901. 

Wednesday,  April  24,  1901,  the  Saints  of  the  Independence 
District  were  convened  at  the  Stone  Church  in  Independence, 
Missouri,  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  the  organization  of  a 
stake  as  per  revelation.  President  Joseph  Smith  presided, 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  315 

and  presented  the  name  of  George  H.  Hulmes  as  the  one 
designated  by  those  to  whom  the  matter  had  been  referred 
for  the  consideration  and  vote  of  the  people  for  or  against. 
By  motion  he  was  elected  and  sustained  as  the  president  of 
the  Independence  Stake.  He  selected  counselors,  and  with  the 
selection  of  twelve  high  priests  as  the  stake  high  council  and 
the  bishop  and  his  counselors,  the  organization  was  completed. 
The  Lamoni  Stake  was  organized  a  few  days  afterward 
in  the  same  manner. 

LETTER  FROM  UTAH  ON  THE  INSPIRED  TRANSLA- 
TION. 

"OFFICE  OF  THE  FIRST  PRESIDENCY,  SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH, 

June  28,  1898. 
"MR.  C.  J.  HUNT,  DELOIT,  IOWA. 

"Dear  Sir:  I  am  directed  by  President  Woodruff  to  acknowl- 
edge the  receipt  of  your  favor  of  June  18  and  to  say,  that 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints  does  not 
use  the  revision  of  the  Scriptures  made  by  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  for  the  reason  that  he  never  completed  the  work.  It 
was  his  intention  to  have  gone  all  through  the  Bible  again 
and  make  further  corrections,  but  he  did  not  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  doing  so.  Consequently  it  is  deemed  an  injustice 
both  to  the  dead  prophet  and  to  the  reader  to  place  this 
unfinished  work  in  the  hands  of  the  public.  Though  we  may 
rest  assured  that  the  changes  that  he  has  made  are  correct, 
we  have  no  assurance  that  he  would  not  have  made  many 
other  corrections  in  his  second  revision. 
"Yours  respectfully, 

"GEORGE  REYNOLDS,  Secretary" 

(The  italics  are  mine,  to  call  attention  to  the  main  point. 
— A.  H.  P.)  Note  the  difference  in  the  reading  of  King 
James'  translation  and  the  Inspired:  "Thou  shalt  not  walk 
in  unrighteousness,  as  did  thy  father  David." — 1  Kings  3:  14, 
Inspired  Version.  Again:  "Solomon  did  evil  in  the  sight 
of  the  Lord,  as  David  his  father." — Ibid.  11:  6;  also  verse  38, 
"as  David,  my  servant  did  in  the  day  that  I  blessed  him." 


316  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

— Ibid.,  15:  11  says:  "Asa  did  right  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  as 
he  [God]  commanded  David  his  father."  Compare  these  texts 
with  the  common  version  and  you  will  see  at  once  why  the 
leaders  in  the  valleys  of  the  mountains  think  the  prophet 
would  have  made  some  other  changes  in  the  second  revision. 
Many  other  citations  can  be  made  as  applicable  as  these. 

THE  LAST  TESTIMONY  OF  THE  THREE  WITNESSES 
TO  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

"It  is  recorded  in  the  American  Cyclopaedia  and  the  En- 
cyclopaedia Britannica,  that  I,  David  Whitmer,  have  denied 
my  testimony  as  one  of  the  three  witnesses  to  the  divinity  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  that  the  other  two  witnesses,  Oliver 
Cowdery  and  Martin  Harris,  denied  their  testimony  to  the 
Book.  I  will  say  once  more  to  all  mankind,  that  I  have  never 
at  any  time  denied  that  testimony  or  any  part  thereof.  I  also 
testify  to  the  world,  that  neither  Oliver  Cowdery  or  Martin 
Harris  ever  at  any  time  denied  their  testimony.  They  both 
died  reaffirming  the  truth  of  the  divine  authenticity  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  I  was  present  at  the  deathbed  of  Oliver 
Cowdery,  and  his  last  words  were,  'Brother  David,  be  true  to 
your  testimony  to  the  Book  of  Mormon.'  He  died  here  in 
Richmond,  Missouri,  on  March  3d,  1850. 

"A     PROCLAMATION. 

"Unto  all  Nations,  Kindred  Tongues  and  People,  unto  whom 
these  presents  shall  come :  It  having  been  represented  by  one 
John  Murphy,  of  Polo,  Caldwell  County,  Missouri,  that  I,  in  a 
conversation  with  him  last  summer,  denied  my  testimony  as 
one  of  the  three  witnesses  to  the  'Book  of  Mormon.' 

"To  the  end,  therefore,  that  he  may  understand  me  now,  if 
he  did  not  then;  that  the  world  may  know  the  truth,  I  wish 
now,  standing  as  it  were,  in  the  very  sunset  of  life,  and  in  the 
fear  of  God,  once  for  all  to  make  this  public  statement:  'That 
I  have  never  at  any  time  denied  that  testimony  or  any  part 
thereof,  which  has  so  long  been  published  with  that  Book,  as 
one  of  the  three  witnesses.  Those  who  know  me  best,  well 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  317 

know  that  I  have  always  adhered  to  that  testimony.  And 
that  no  man  may  be  misled  or  doubt  my  present  views  in 
regard  to  the  same,  I  do  again  affirm  the  truth  of  all  my 
statements,  as  then  made  and  published.'  " — "An  address  to 
all  believers  in  Christ,"  published  at  Richmond,  Missouri, 
1887,  pp.  8,  9. 

"At  a  special  conference  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  held  on 
the  21st  of  October,  in  the  year  1848,  Bro.  Oliver  Cowdery, 
one  of  the  three  important  witnesses  to  the  truth  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  .  .  .  made  the  remarks  here  annexed.  .  .  .  'Friends 
and  brethren,  my  name  is  Cowdery — Oliver  Cowdery.  In  the 
early  history  of  this  church  I  stood  identified  with  her,  and 
one  in  her  councils.  True  it  is  that  the  gifts  and  callings  of 
God  are  without  repentance.  Not  because  I  was  better  than 
the  rest  of  mankind  Was  I  called;  but,  to  fulfill  the  purposes 
of  God,  he  called  me  to  a  high  and  holy  calling.  I  wrote,  with 
my  own  pen,  the  entire  Book  of  Mormon  (save  a  few  pages), 
as  it  fell  .from  the  lips  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  as  he 
translated  it  by  the  gift  and  power  of  God,  by  the  means  of 
the  Urim  and  Thummin,  or,  as  it  is  called  by  that  book,  'holy 
interpreters.'  /  beheld  with  my  eyes  and  handled  with  my 
hands  the  gold  plates  from  which  it  was  translated.  I  also 
saw  with  my  eyes  and  handled  with  my  hands  the  'holy 
interpreters.'  That  book  is  true.  Sidney  Rigdon  did  not 
write  it.  Mr.  Spalding  did  not  write  it.  I  wrote  it  myself 
as  it  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  Prophet." — George  Reynolds 
in  his  Myth  of  the  Manuscript  Found,"  pp.  79,  80.  (Quoted 
from  Church  History,  vol.  1,  p.  50.) 

David  B.  Dille,  of  Ogden  City,  Weber  County,  Salt  Lake, 
Utah,  September  15,  1853,  asked  Martin  Harris  this  question: 
"What  do  you  think  of  the  Book  of  Mormon?  Is  it  a  divine 
record?"  (Answer:)  "I  was  the  right  hand  man  of  Joseph 
Smith,  and  I  know  that  he  was  a  prophet  of  God.  I  know  the 
Book  of  Mormon  is  true — and  you  know  that  I  know  that  it 
is  true.  I  know  that  the  plates  have  been  translated  by  the 
gift  and  power  of  God,  for  his  voice  declared  it  unto  us; 
therefore  I  know  of  a  surety  that  the  work  is  true." — Milieu- 


318  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

nial  Star.      (Quoted   from  the   Church   History,   vol.    1,   pp. 
51,  52.) 

JOSEPH  SMITH,  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  FACTS  CON- 
CERNING THE  RELIGION  OF  THE  AGE. 

"Sometime  in  the  second  year  after  our  removal  to  Man- 
chester, there  was  in  the  place  where  we  lived  an  unusual 
excitement  on  the  subject  of  religion.  ...  I  was  at  this  time 
in  my  fifteenth  year.  .  .  .  During  this  time  of  great  excitement 
my  mind  was  called  up  to  serious  reflection  and  great  uneasi- 
ness; but  though  my  feelings  were  deep  and  often  pungent, 
still  I  kept  myself  aloof  from  all  those  parties,  though  I 
attended  their  several  meetings  as  often  as  occasion  would 
permit;  ...  In  the  midst  of  this  war  of  words  and  tumult  of 
opinions,  I  often  said  to  myself,  What  is  to  be  done?  .  Who 
of  all  these  parties  are  right?  Or,  Are  they  all  wrong  to- 
gether? If  any  one  of  them  be  right,  which  is  it,  and  how 
shall  I  know  it?  While  I  was  laboring  under  the  extreme 
difficulties  caused  by  the  contests  of  these  parties  of  religion- 
ists, I  was  one  day  reading  the  epistle  of  James,  first  chapter 
and  fifth  verse,  which  reads:  'If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom, 
let  him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and 
upbraideth  not;  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  him.''  Never  did 
any  passage  of  scripture  come  with  more  power  to  the  heart 
of  man  than  this  did  at  this  time  to  mine.  It  seemed  to 
enter  with  great  force  into  every  feeling  of  my  heart.  I 
reflected  on  it  again  and  again,  knowing  that  if  any  person 
needed  wisdom  from  God  I  did,  for  how  to  act  I  did  not  know, 
and  unless  I  could  get  more  wisdom  than  I  then  had  would 
never  know,  for  the  teachers  of  religion  of  the  different  sects 
understood  the  same  passage  so  differently  as  to  destroy  all 
confidence  in  settling  the  question  by  an  appeal  to  the  Bible. 
At  length  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  must  either  remain 
in  darkness  and  confusion,  or  else  I  must  do  as  James  directs; 
that  is,  ask  of  God.  I  at  length  came  to  the  determination 
to  'ask  of  God,'  concluding  that  if  he  gave  wisdom  to  them 
that  lacked  wisdom  and  would  give  liberally,  and  not  upbraid, 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  319 

I  might  venture.  So  in  accordance  with  this  my  determina- 
tion, to  ask  of  God,  I  retired  to  the  woods  to  make  the  attempt. 
It  was  on  the  morning  of  a  beautiful  clear  day,  early  in  the 
spring  of  eighteen  hundred  and  twenty.  .  .  .  After  I  had 
retired  into  the  place  where  I  had  previously  designed  to 
go,  having  looked  around  me  and  finding  myself  alone,  I 
kneeled  down  and  began  to  offer  up  the  desires  of  my  heart 
to  God.  ...  I  saw  a  pillar  of  light  exactly  over  my  head, 
above  the  brightness  of  the  sun;  which  descended  gradually 
until  it  fell  upon  me.  .  .  .  When  the  light  rested  upon  me  I 
saw  two  personages  (whose  brightness  and  glory  defy  all 
description)  standing  above  me  in  the  air.  One  of  them 
spake-unto  me,  calling  me  by  name,  and  said,  (pointing  to  the 
other,)  'This  is  my  beloved  Son,  hear  him.'  My  object  in 
going  to  inquire  of  the  Lord  was  to  know  which  of  all  the 
sects  was  right,  that  I  might  know  which  to  join.  No  sooner 
therefore  did  I  get  possession  of  myself,  so  as  to  be  able  to 
speak,  than  1  asked  the  personages  who  stood  above  me  in  the 
light,  which  of  all  the  sects  was  right,  (for  at  this  time  it  had 
never  entered  into  my  heart  that  all  were  wrong,)  and  which 
I  should  join.  I  was  answered  that  I  must  join  none  of  them, 
for  they  were  all  wrong,  and  the  personage  who  addressed 
me  said  that  all  their  creeds  were  an  abomination  in  his 
sight;  that  those  professors  were  all  corrupt;  'they  draw  near 
to  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far  from  me; 
they  teach  for  doctrine  the  commandments  of  men,  having 
a  form  of  godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power  thereof.'  He 
again  forbade  me  to  join  with  any  of  them;  and  many  other 
things  did  he  say  unto  me  which  I  can  not  write  at  this  time." 
—Church  History,  vol.  1,  pp.  7,  8,  9,  10. 

HIS  FIRST  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE 
AMERICANS  AND  GOD'S  WORD  TO  THEM,  OR  THE 

"STICK  OF  JOSEPH." 

"During  the  space  of  time  which  intervened  between  the 
time  I  had  the  vision,  and  the  year  1823,  having  been  for- 
bidden to  join  any  of  the  religious  sects  of  the  day,  and  being 
of  very  tender  years,  and  persecuted  by  those  who  ought 


320  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

to  have  been  my  friends,  and  to  have  treated  me  kindly, 
and  if  they  supposed  me  to  be  deluded  to  have  endeavored 
in  a  proper  and  affectionate  manner  to  have  reclaimed  me,  .  .  . 
21st  of  September,  .  .  .  while  I  was  thus  in  the  act  of  calling 
upon  God  I  discovered  a  light  appearing  in  the  room,  which 
continued  to  increase  until  the  room  was  lighter  than  at 
noonday,  when  immediately  a  personage  appeared  at  my 
bedside  standing  in  the  air,  for  his  feet  did  not  touch  the 
floor.  ...  He  called  me  by  name,  and  said  unto  me  that  he 
was  a  messenger  sent  from  the  presence  of  God  to  me,  and 
that  his  name  was  Nephi.  (Moroni.)  That  God  had  a  work 
for  me  to  do,  and  that  my  name  should  be  had  for  good  and 
evil,  among  all  nations,  kindreds,  and  tongues;  or  that  it 
should  be  both  good  and  evil  spoken  of  among  all  people.  He 
said  there  was  a  book  deposited  written  upon  gold  plates, 
giving  an  account  of  the  former  inhabitants  of  this  continent, 
and  the  source  from  whence  they  sprang.  He  also  said  that 
the  fullness  of  the  everlasting  gospel  was  contained  in  it,  as 
delivered  by  the  Savior  to  the  ancient  inhabitants.  Also 
that  there  were  two  stones  in  silver  bows,  and  these  stones 
fastened  to  a  breastplate  constituted  what  is  called  the  Urim 
and  Thummim,  deposited  with  the  plates,  and  the  possession 
and  use  of  these  stones  was  what  constituted  seers  in  ancient 
or  former  times,  and  that  God  had  prepared  them  for  the 
purpose  of  translating  the  book.  ...  Owing  to  the  distinct- 
ness of  the  vision  which  I  had  concerning  it,  I  knew  the 
place  the  instant  that  I  arrived  there.  Convenient  to  the 
village  of  Manchester,  Ontario  County,  New  York,  stands  a 
hill  of  considerable  size,  and  the  most  elevated  of  any  in  the 
neighborhood.  On  the  west  side  of  this  hill,  not  far  from  the 
top,  under  a  stone  of  considerable  size,  lay  the  plates  deposited 
in  a  stone  box.  This  stone  was  thick  and  rounding  in  the 
middle  on  the  upper  side,  and  thinner  towards  the  edges,  so 
that  the  middle  part  of  it  was  visible  above  the  ground,  but 
the  edge  all  around  was  covered  with  earth.  Having  removed 
the  earth  and  obtained  a  lever  which  I  got  fixed  under  the 
edge  of  the  stone  and  with  a  little  exertion  raised  it  up,  I 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  321 

looked  in  and  there  indeed  did  I  behold  the  plates,  the  Urim 
and  Thummim,  and  the  Breastplate,  as  stated  by  the  mes- 
senger. ...  At  length  the  time  arrived  for  obtaining  the 
plates,  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  and  the  Breastplate.  On 
the  22d  day  of  September,  1827,  having  went  as  usual  at  the 
end  of  another  year  to  the  place  where  they  were  deposited, 
the  same  heavenly  messenger  delivered  them  up  to  me,  with 
this  charge  that  I  should  be  responsible  for  them;  that  if  I 
phould  let  them  go  carelessly  or  through  any  neglect  of  mine, 
I  should  be  cut  off;  but  that  if  I  would  use  all  my  endeavors 
to  preserve  them,  until  he  the  messenger  shouM  call  for  them, 
they  should  be  protected.  .  .  .  Some  time  in  this  month  of 
February  the  aforementioned  Mr.  Martin  Harris  came  to  our 
place,  got  the  characters  which  I  had  drawn  off  the  plates, 
and  started  with  them  to  the  city  of  New  York." — Church 
History,  vol.  1,  pp.  11,  12,  13,  15,  16,  17,  18. 

RESTORATION   OF   THE   HOLY   PRIESTHOOD   TO 
JOSEPH   SMITH. 

"While  we  were  thus  employed,  praying,  and  calling  upon 
the  Lord,  a  messenger  from  heaven  descended  in  a  cloud  of 
light,  and  having  laid  his  hands  upon  us,  he  ordained  us,  say- 
ing unto  us,  'Upon  you,  my  fellow-servants,  in  the  name  of 
Messiah,  I  confer  the  priesthood  of  Aaron,  which  holds  the 
keys  of  the  ministering  of  angels,  and  of  the  gospel  of  re- 
pentance, and  of  baptism  by  immersion,  for  the  remission  of 
sins;  .  .  .  and  he  commanded  us  to  go  and  be  baptized,  and 
gave  us  directions  that  I  should  baptize  Oliver  Cowdery,  and 
afterwards  that  he  should  baptize  me.  Accordingly  we  went 
and  were  baptized,  I  baptized  him  first,  and  afterwards  he 
baptized  me,  after  which  I  laid  my  hands  upon  his  head  and 
ordained  him  to  the  Aaronic  priesthood,  and  afterwards  he 
laid  his  hands  on  me  and  ordained  me  to  the  same  priesthood, 
for  so  we  were  commanded.  The  messenger  who  visited  us  on 
this  occasion,  and  conferred  this  priesthood  upon  us,  said 
that  his  name  was  John,  the  same  that  is  called  John  the 
Baptist,  in  the  New  Testament,  and  that  he  acted  under  the 


322  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

direction  of  Peter,  James,  and  John,  who  held  the  keys  of 
the  priesthood  of  Melchisedec,  which  priesthood  he  said  should 
in  due  time  be  conferred  on  us — and  that  I  should  be  called 
the  first  elder,  and  he  the  second.  It  was  on  the  15th  day  of 
May,  1829,  that  we  were  baptized  and  ordained  under  the 
hand  of  the  messenger.  .  .  .  For  we  had  not  long  been  en- 
gaged in  solemn  and  fervent  prayer  when  the  word  of  the 
Lord  came  unto  us  in  the  chamber,  (Father  Whitmer's  house,) 
commanding  us  that  I  should  ordain  Oliver  Cowdery  to  be  an 
elder  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  he  also  should 
ordain  me  to  the  same  office,  and  then  to  ordain  others  as  it 
should  be  made  known  unto  us,  from  time  to  time;  we  were, 
however,  commanded  to  defer  this  our  ordination  until  such 
time  as  it  should  be  practicable  to  have  our  brethren,  who 
had  been  and  should  be  baptized,  assembled  together,  when 
we  must  have  their  sanction  to  our  thus  proceeding  to  ordain 
each  other,  and  have  them  decide  by  vote  whether  they  were 
willing  to  accept  us  as  spiritual  teachers,  or  not,  when  also 
we  were  commanded  to  bless  bread  and  break  it  with  them, 
and  to  take  wine,  bless  it,  and  drink  it  with  them,  afterward 
proceed  to  ordain  each  other  according  to  commandment, 
then  call  out  such  men  as  the  Spirit  should  dictate,  and  ordain 
them,  and  then  attend  to  the  laying  on  of  hands  for  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  all  those  whom  we  had  previously 
baptized,  doing  all  things  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." — Church 
History,  vol.  1,  pp.  34,  35,  36,  60,  61. 

THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  RESTORED  IN 
APRIL,  1830,  BY  THE  COMMAND  OF  GOD. 

"In  this  manner  did  the  Lord  continue  to  give  us  instruc- 
tions from  time  to  time,  concerning  the  duties  which  now 
devolved  upon  us,  and  among  many  other  things  of  the  kind, 
we  obtained  of  him  the  following,  by  the  Spirit  of  prophecy 
and  revelation;  which  not  only  gave  us  much  information, 
but  also  pointed  out  to  us  the  precise  day  upon  which,  accord- 
ing to  his  will  and  commandment,  we  should  proceed  to 
organize  his  church  once  again  here  upon  the  earth:  The  rise 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  323 

of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  these  last  days,  being  one  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  and  thirty  years  since  the  coming  of  our 
Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ  in  the  flesh,  it  being  regularly 
organized  and  established  agreeably  to  the  laws  of  our  coun- 
try, by  the  will  and  commandments  of  God  in  the  fourth 
month,  and  on  the  sixth  day  of  the  month  which  is  called 
April,  which  commandments  were  given  to  Joseph  Smith,  jr., 
who  was  called  of  God  and  ordained  an  apostle  of  Jesus 
Christ,  to  be  the  first  elder  of  this  church;  and  to  Oliver 
Cowdery,  who  was  also  called  of  God  an  apostle  of  Jesus 
Christ,  to  be  the  second  elder  of  this  church,  and  ordained 
under  his  hands:  and  this  according  to  the  grace  of  our 
Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be  all  the  glory  both 
now  and  for  ever.  Amen.  .  .  .  Accordingly  we  met  together 
for  that  purpose,  at  the  house  of  the  above  mentioned  Mr. 
Whitmer  (being  six  in  number)  on  Tuesday,  the  6th  day  of 
April,  A.  D.  1830.  Having  opened  the  meeting  by  solemn 
prayer  to  our  heavenly  Father  we  proceeded  (according  to 
previous  commandment)  to  call  on  our  brethren  to  know 
whether  they  accepted  us  as  their  teachers  in  the  things  of 
the  kingdom  of  God,  and  whether  they  were  satisfied  that  we 
should  proceed  and  be  organized  as  a  church  according  to 
said  commandment  which  we  had  received.  To  these  they 
consented  by  a  unanimous  vote.  I  then  laid  my  hands  upon 
Oliver  Cowdery  and  ordained  him  an  elder  of  the  'Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,'  after  which  he  ordained 
me  also  to  the  office  of  an  elder  of  said  church.  We  then 
took  bread,  blessed  it  and  brake  it  with  them,  also  wine, 
blessed  it,  and  drank  it  with  them.  We  then  laid  our  hands  on 
each  individual  member  of  the  church  present  that  they  might 
receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  be  confirmed  members 
of  the  Church  of  Christ.  The  Holy  Ghost  was  poured  out 
upon  us  to  a  very  great  degree.  Some  prophesied,  whilst  we 
all  praised  the  Lord  and  rejoiced  exceedingly,"— Church  His- 
tory, vol.  1,  pp.  67,  68,  76,  77. 


324  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

JAREDITE  BOATS. 

We  now  quote  from  Popular  Mechanics  for  June,  1907,  page 
626 :  "The  boat  can  not  sink,  for  there  are  eight  water-tight 
compartments  in  it,  any  of  which  is  sufficient  to  hold  the  boat 
on  the  surface  full  of  men  and  women.  And  in  these  eight 
compartments  are  eighty-two  copper  air  cases,  so  that  the 
boat  can  be  smashed  into  small  pieces,  cut  in  two,  in  ten, 
in  a  hundred  parts,  and  still  there  will  be  enough  floating  for 
those  in  the  boat  at  the  time  of  the  accident  to  hold  on  to." 

National  Magazine,  November,  1906,  page  163,  says:  "In 
order  to  procure  the  self-righting  quality,  each  is  furnished 
with  a  heavy  iron  keel,  and  well  provided  with  ballast.  If 
overturned  it  is  impossible  for  the  boat  to  remain  so  on 
account  of  the  elevated  air  chambers  in  the  bow  and  stern,  and 
as  it  rolls  upon  one  side,  the  ballast  and  the  iron  keel,  which 
by  its  own  weight  must  naturally  seek  the  water,  quickly 
force  it  back  into  position." 

Popular  Mechanics,  June,  1906,  page  625  says:  "The  boat 
can  not  stay  upset,  and  turns  over  with  difficulty;  on  the 
bottom  is  a  heavy  keel  of  metal — gun  metal.  .  .  .  This  eight- 
een hundred  pounds  of  keel  flops  a  boat  right  side  up  as  fast 
and  as  often  as  a  wave  upsets  the  boat — and  it  must  be  a 
mighty  wave  indeed  which  accomplishes  the  feat.  ...  The 
photographs  show  the  difficulty  which  is  experienced  in  trying 
to  upset  one  of  the  boats.  A  number  of  men  with  block  and 
tackle,  had  to  pull  and  haul  a  long  time,  until,  inch  by  inch, 
the  boat  finally  keeled  over,  took  water,  and  at  last  turned 
bottom  up.  Released,  and  in  a  second  the  heavy  keel  flopped 
back  the  boat  and  in  no  uncertain  manner — witness  the 
splash." 

National  Magazine,  November,  1906,  says:  "The  excited 
spectators  held  their  breath,  but  presently  had  leisure  to 
notice  certain  peculiarities  of  constructure,  namely  three 
round  openings  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  by  means  of  which 
the  self-bailing  is  accomplished.  In  the  boat's  floor,  which  is 
so  placed  as  to  be  on  a  level  with  the  water  when  it  is 
manned,  .  .  .  are  several  openings,  each  connecting  by  a 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  325 

metal  with  one  in  the  bottom.  As  water  can  not  rise  above 
its  own  level,  and  as  each  tube  is  closed,  at  the  floor  level, 
by  a  valve  which  opens  downward,  no  water  can  pass  up 
into  the  boat,  while  any  dashing  in  from  above  is  at  once 
shipped  through  the  tubes.  So  quickly  is  this  accomplished 
that  a  full  boat  can  empty  itself  in  about  half  a  minute." 

Popular  Mechanics,  June,  1907,  says:  "The  boat  can  not 
be  sunk.  They  have  a  false  bottom  through  which  run  eight 
inch  tubes;  closed  with  valves,  which  keep  the  water  out.  But 
let  a  wave  fill  the  boat  and  in  less  than  half  a  minute  the 
water  all  runs  out  of  the  tubes  back  into  the  sea." — Saints' 
Herald,  October  16,  1907,  written  by  J.  W.  Bums. 

CHRISTIAN   SCIENCE,  THE  SECOND  COMING  OF 
CHRIST. 

In  a  letter  dated  Boston,  Massachusetts,  June  13,  1898, 
Rev.  S.  J.  Hanna,  in  answer  to  the  question:  "Is  Christian 
Science  the  second  coming  of  Christ,"  said:  "Christian  Scien- 
tists have  no  doubt  this  is  the  second  coming." 

Reverend  Hanna  was,  for  many  years,  editor  of  the  Chris- 
tian Science  Journal  and  First  Reader  of  the  First  Church  of 
Christ,  Scientist,  Boston.  A  similar  question  had  been  sent 
to  Mrs.  Mary  Baker  Eddy,  the  founder  of  the  Christian 
Science  Church,  and  in  reply  she  directed  her  secretary, 
Calvin  A.  Frye,  to  write  from  Concord,  New  Hampsnire, 
April  21,  1895,  as  follows:  "I  am  requested  to  say  in  the 
words  of  scripture,  'Go  and  tell  John  the  things  ye  see  and 
hear;  the  sick  are  healed,  the  deaf  hear,  the  lame  walk,  etc., 
and  blessed  is  he  whosoever  shall  not  be  offended  in  me.'  " 

Please  take  your  Bible  and  read  Matthew  11:  1-6,  and  Luke 
7:  19-23,  and  you  will  have  no  doubt  but  what  Mrs.  Eddy 
would  have  every  reader  of  those  texts  and  of  her  letter  re- 
ferred to  above,  to  know  that  she  is  positive  in  her  own  mind 
that  Christian  Science  is  the  second  coming  of  Christ  to  earth. 

Mr.  Ezra  W.  Reid,  a  prominent  writer  and  defender  of 
Mrs.  Eddy's  claims  as  a  restorer  or  discoverer,  is  the  author 
of  a  leading  article  on  the  second  coming  of  Christ  in  the 
Octoper,  1897,  Christian  Science  Journal  of  Boston.  Mr.  Reid 


326  PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK 

refers  to  several  religious  societies  as  having  taught  the  sec- 
ond coming  of  Christ;  but,  having  all  failed  in  their  expecta- 
tions, it  was  left  to  Mrs.  Eddy  to  present  to  the  world  the 
glorious  coming  of  the  Lord  in  what  she  proudly  advocates  as 
Christian  Science.  Reverend  Reid  says: 

"We  can  not,  within  the  limits  of  this  article,  enter  into  the 
discussion  of  the  various  beliefs  of  these  people,  their  differ- 
ences, and  the  mathematical,  chronological,  and  historical 
arguments  which  prove  the  time  of  the  second  advent;  suffice 
it  to  say,  that  from  1843  to  1873  there  was  quite  a  wide- 
spread expectation  that  it  would  occur  within  that  period.  In 
fact,  many  eminent  English  standard  writers  and  commen- 
tators fixed  upon  the  year  1866  as  the  year  which  would 
bring  the  Lord  and  his  kingdom.  This  date  is  one  which 
especially  interests  Christian  Scientists.  .  .  .  Was  it  coinci- 
dental that  Christian  Science  should  have  been  discovered  in 
the  year  1866?  As  indicated  in  the  above  quotation,  there  is 
no  reason  for  expecting  that  the  beginning  of  the  new  dis- 
pensation should  be  so  very  different  from  the  years  pre- 
ceding it,  that  is  from  the  standpoint  of  mortal  man.  Are  not 
all  of  God's  works  performed  through  the  still  small  voice? 
It  was  in  this  manner,  and  in  this  year  of  1866,  that  Rev. 
Mary  Baker  Eddy  discovered  Christian  Science,  which,  from 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  and  the  apostles,  we  feel  sure  is  the 
second  coming  of  Christ.  .  .  .  The  kingdom  has  come,  and 
as  the  light  which  is  all  diffused,  is  the  presence  of  the 
Christ." 

He  also  says:  "It  was  the  Christ  of  whom  Jesus  was  the 
'highest  human  corporeal  concept'  .  .  .  who  was  to  come  again 
after  the  gospel  parenthesis;  but  when  Jesus  ascended  from 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  he  laid  aside  for  ever  the  flesh — body — 
and  'henceforth  know  we  him  no  more  after  the  flesh.'  " 

Rev.  S.  J.  Hanna,  in  the  Christian  Science  Journal,  June, 
1907,  gives  the  following  historical  account  of  the  coming  into 
organic  (?)  form  (?)  of  the  Christian  Science  Church.  He 
says:  "The  early  records  of  this  church  contain  the  follow- 
ing interesting  and  significant  item:  'At  a  meeting  of  the 


PARSONS'  TEXT  BOOK  327 

Christian  Science  Association,  April  19,  1879,  on  motion  of 
Mrs.  Eddy,  it  was  voted, — To  organize  a  church  designed  to 
commemorate  the  word  and  works  of  our  Master,  which  should 
reinstate  primitive  Christianity  and  its  lost  element  of  heal- 
ing/ We  point  to  the  twenty-eight  years  of  intervening  his- 
tory in  witness  of  the  correctness  of  that  early  declaration. 
.  .  .  We  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  therefore,  as  a  matter  of 
current  history,  that  to  a  most  wonderful  and  gratifying 
extent  primitive  Christianity  has  been  reinstated  and  its 
lost  element  of  healing  established." — Saints'  Herald,  Octo- 
ber 2,  1907,  article  by  Bishop  C.  J.  Hunt. 

JOSEPH  F.  SMITH  ADMITS  A  DEPARTURE  FROM 
THE   LAW,  WITHOUT  A  RIGHT   TO   DO   SO. 

"We  have  not  always  carried  out  strictly  the  order  of  the 
priesthood.  We  have  varied  from  it  to  some  extent,  but  we 
hope  in  due  time  that  by  the  promptings  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
we  will  be  led  up  into  the  exact  channel  and  course  that  the 
Lord  has  marked  out  for  us  to  pursue,  and  adhere  strictly 
to  the  order  that  he  has  established." — Remarks  at  a  special 
conference  held  at  Salt  Lake  City,  November  10,  1901,  as 
reported  in  the  Deseret  News. 


CONTENTS 

Aborigines  of  America  came  in  vessels 47 

Aborigines  of  America,  What  some  of  the,  believe,  ....  59 

Aborigines  of  America,  Israelites, 25 

Aborigines  of  America  had  sacred  writings 52 

Aborigines  of  America  were  warriors, 41 

Aborigines  of  America  were  metal  workers,  33 

Adam,  our  father  and  God  281 

Advent  Christian  Church,  Origin  of  the,  158 

Adventist  Church,  Origin  of,  151 

Adventists,  Doctrinal  features  of, 157 

America's  progeny,  8,12 

Ancient  traditions  not  necessarily  true 176 

Ancient  Americans  built  houses  of  worship,  55 

Ancient  Americans  worshiped  God  the  Father  and  Jesus 

Christ  the  Son,  49 

Ancient  Americans  were  farmers  and  manufacturers,  ...  44 

Anointing  with  oil  219 

Americans  wrote  historical  book  54 

America,  Led  to,  by  four  brothers,  30 

Apostasy  from  the  primitive  order,  127 

"Ariel"  signifies  Jerusalem,  71 

Babies  released  from  Hades,  says  Bishop,  200 

Babies  out  of  hell,  200 

Baptism  by  immersion  in  water,  history, 114,  119 

Baptism  by  immersion  in  water  for  the  remission  of  sins,  118 

Baptist  Church,  Origin  of,  147 

Baptize  one  another,  Two  boys,  183 

Blood  atonement,  284 

Book  of  Mormon,  Some  objections  to,  98 

Burrows,  Senator  J.  C.,  Speech  of, 273 

Calendar,  Mexican,  30 

Came  in  vessels,  47 

Campbellite  Church,  Origin  of  the,  170 

Campbellites  recognize  the  authority  to  baptize  in  other 

churches,  182 

Catholic  Church,  Doctrine  of  the,  from  their  own  books,  163 

Character  of  early  Saints,  79 

Changes  in  climate,  at  some  period  of  the  past 137 

Changes  made  in  the  Book  of  Mormon, 78 

Christians  are  not  all  priests,  206 

Christian  Church,  Doctrinal  features  of  the,  179 

'Christian,"  Name,  181 

Christian  Science,  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  325 

Christian  Science,  Is  it  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  . . .  .195 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  restored  in  April,  1830,  by  the 

command  of  God, 322 


330  PARSONS  TEXT  BOOK 

Comfort  of  polygamy, 262 

Compass   used   by   Aborigines,    46 

Construction  of  boats,  49 

Cross,  The,  known  long  before  the  Christian  era,  140 

Currents  in  the  ocean, 48 

Darkness  so  thick  that  it  can  be  felt, 137 

"Days,"  as  used  in  the  Bible  143 

Defendants'   evidence,    269 

Degrees  of  inspiration,    214 

Disasters  at  sea,  Past,    193 

"Disciples  of  Christ,"  Origin  of 180 

Drake,   Ex-Governor,   Interview   with,    88 

Dubois,  Hon.  Fred  T.,  Speech  of,   281 

Dunkard  Church,  Origin  of  the,   161 

Earliest  printed  works  on  the  Antiquities  of  America   ...     7 

Earthquakes,    186 

Earthquakes,  An  indication  of  the  frequency  of, 192 

Elephants  used  in  America,    44 

Example  of  the  apostles  as  good  as  a  command,   120 

Facts  gathered  by  Brethren  Miller  and  Thomas,  of  Pitts- 
burg,  Pennsylvania,   109 

Facts  gathered  by  Elder  J.  F.  Mintun,  as  found  in  a  tract 

on  the  Book  of  Mormon,   102 

Facts  gathered  in  confirmation  of  the   Book  of  Mormon 

being  true,    107 

First  day  the  Christian   Sabbath,    159 

First  settlement  from  Tower  of  Babel,    17 

Great  hurricane's  journey  from  Florida  to  Eastern  Maine  185 

Gulf    calamity,     186 

Hell  or  hades  the  abode  of  spirits,   236 

High  priests, 217 

Historical  events  concerning  the  rise  and  reorganization 

of  the   church,    313 

Hunt,  Bishop  C.  J.,  Answers  to  questions  asked  by;  on 

meaning  of  the  word  stick   63 

Inspiration    of   the   Bible,    220 

Inspiration    wanting,     199 

Inspired  Translation,  Letter  from  Utah  on  the 315 

Is   it   another   gospel,    62 

Jaredite  boats   324 

Jesus   a   polygamist,    263 

Journal  of  Discourses,    256 

Latter   day   apostasy,    255 

Laying  on  of  hands  for  the  reception  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  121 

Love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,   176 

Man  a  dual  creature,    228 


PARSONS  TEXT  BOOK  331 

Message  of  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois  in  rela- 
tion to  the  disturbance  in  Hancock  County,   December 

23,  1844,   86 

Miracle,    Modern,    142 

Miscellaneous  testimony  concerning  the  Book  of  Mormon 

and  veracity  of  the  witnesses  to  the  said  book, 77 

"Mormon,"  The  word,  and  its  origin,   62 

Opinions   of   sixty   prominent   ministers,   journalists,   and 
historians   on   prehistoric   civilization   in   America — The 

Book   of   Mormon   needed,    90 

Palestine,  Colonies  in   209 

Palestine,    Waterfall    in,     207 

Paradise  the  abode  of  the  good  spirits  between  death  and 

the  resurrection,    234 

Parallels  as  found  in  the  Bible  and  Book  of  Mormon. ..  .112 

Patriarch,     218 

Peruvian    roads,    Great,    37 

Polygamy  and  foreign  missions,    310 

Polygamy,  First  public  introduction  of,  was  made  in  Salt 

Lake   City,    259 

Polygamy  not  a  tenet  of  the  church,  266 

Polygamy  not  permissable  under  the  state  law  of  Illinois  272 

Polygamy  permissible,   309 

Polygamy  permissible  in    the    Christian    or    Campbellite 

Church,    311 

Prejudice,    146 

President  of  the  church  in  New  Testament  times 215 

Priesthood,    211 

Proper  method  of  interpreting  God's  word, 144 

Prophecy  and  when  fulfilled,    146 

Prophets  and  miracles,   213 

Punctuation,     138 

Quadrupeds,    42 
ailroad  wrecks,   195 

Records,  Evidencing  a  knowledge  of  buried,   99 

Relics  of  two  civilized  nations, 10,  15 

Reorganized  Church  in  Canadian  courts,    307 

Restoration    looked    for, 134 

Restoration  of  the  holy  priesthood  to  Joseph  Smith, 321 

Resurrection,    57 

Retribution,    85 

Return  of  the  Jews,  201 

Rigdon's,  Sidney,  whereabouts  designated, 99 

Rods,    70 

Rolls,    69 

Salvation  depends  upon  obedience  to  the  priesthood,  right 
or  wrong,    285 


332  PARSONS  TEXT  BOOK 

Second  colony  from  Jerusalem   22 

Signs  of  the  last  days, 184 

Smith,  Joseph  F.,  admits  a  departure  from  the  law,  with- 
out  a   right   to    do   so,    327 

Smith,  Joseph  F.,  paves  the  way  for  succession 295 

Smith,  Joseph,  jr.,  His  first  introduction  to  the  history  of 
the  Americans  and  God's  words  to  them,  or  the  ''stick 

of  Joseph," 319 

Smith,   Joseph,   jr.,   introduction   to  the   facts   concerning 

the  religions  of  the  age,    318 

Smith,  Joseph,  the  Seer's  views  on  secrecies,  312 

Smith,  Joseph,   successor  of  his  father,    292 

Sometimes  it  is  well  to  know  what  our  neighbors  think 

of  us,   178 

Spaulding  Romance  found,    105 

Spirit  of  man  intelligent  between   death   and  the   resur- 
rection,     231 

Spiritualism  exposed, 241 

Sticks,  rolls,  and  rods    67 

Successor,    180 

Temple  not  finished,    294 

Testimony  as  to  the  characters  on  the  plates  from  which 

the  Book  of  Mormon  was  translated   74 

Testimony  in  court  as  to  the  successor 299 

Testimony  of  eight  witnesses,    76 

Testimony  of  John  C.  Bennett, 269 

Testimony  of  the  three  witnesses,   76 

Testimony  of  twenty-one  persons  as  to  veracity  of  Mr. 

Whitmer,    78 

Theological   cemeteries    200 

Three  short  talks  on  finance,    283 

Three  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  'Last  testimony 

of,   316 

Towering  philosophy,  262 

Tower  of  Babel,  How  the,  was  built, 21 

Trepanning  in  ancient  America,  138 

Trinity,  Ancient  religion  of,   139 

Usurpation   and   reorganization  by   Brigham   Young  and 

colleagues,     257 

Urim  and  Thummim   215 

Was   it  truth,    132 

White's,  Mrs.  E.  G.,  view  on  the  Jews  gathering  back  to 

the   Holy   Land,    210 

Who   ordained    Brigham,    258 

Woe  to  the  land  shadowing  with  wings, 106 

Words,  Various,  used  on  both  continents,   113 

Young,  Brigham,  admits  there  was  no  commandment,  ...295 


